Strategic Infrastructure Protection Consortium Formed By Leading Security Technology Innovators

HERNDON, Virginia, Oct. 2, 2006 -- The formation of the Strategic Infrastructure Protection (SIP) Consortium, a working group of leading technology solutions innovators dedicated to a shared vision of accelerating the use of proven, advanced technologies to improve the security of the critical infrastructure of the United States, was announced today by the charter members of the group.

SIP Consortium (www.sipconsortium.com) charter members are highly innovative industry leaders in access control, geospatial information technology, wireless networking, video analytics, real-time data intelligence, and complex systems integration. Members include Abeo Corporation, CT Solutions, GCS Research, Knowledge Vector, Inc., and Vidient Systems, Inc.

The formation of Herndon, VA-based SIP Consortium grew out of its members’ joint efforts deploying fully architected security solutions at Helena (Montana) Regional Airport and Tallahassee (Florida) Regional Airport, two strategic projects funded by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) with a goal of designing and evaluating an advanced new security solution that sets new standards for performance, scalability and affordability.

“Securing the infrastructure of our country is a complex challenge that requires entirely new approaches, from new polices and best practices to innovative new technologies, and it all must happen with a new level of urgency,” said Michael Borcherding, President of Abeo Corporation and Director of the SIP Consortium. “Our mission is to accelerate the adoption of scalable, cost-effective, force-multiplying security solutions at airports, power plants, ports, military bases, rail yards, and other critical infrastructure for the safety and prosperity of the United States.”

Bill Adams of CT Solutions, the consortium’s principle design agent, explained the SIP Consortium partners have a clear viewpoint of what is required to secure our nation’s infrastructure.

“Decades-old security paradigms must be overhauled,” Adams said. “Sensor data must be integrated, and security operators must stop staring at banks of CCTV monitors and start predicting threats. Radio calls, text messages and geospatial data must be automatically coupled with live images beamed wirelessly to PDAs or laptops. Security solutions need to be interoperable to accept new sensors easily without discarding existing technology. And security data must be shared across installations and boundaries of authority so that true situational awareness can be achieved and a common operational picture subscribed to by all security stakeholders.”

These goals are manifested in a SIPC Solution that rapidly identifies and reacts to security breaches in real time, informs and empowers security and first-responder personnel so they can act faster with better information, affords scalability across multiple geographically dispersed locations, and leverages existing security investments. These capabilities were demonstrated at the Helena and Tallahassee regional airports. Based on those successes, the consortium has recently come under contract to expand its core solution into a Potomac Basin Security System that will provide security coverage across the Potomac Basin area. This new solution will be deployed at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and nearby Department of Defense locations. The consortium team, led by Abeo Corporation, completed the design phase of this project in August. The development phase is due to start in October.

For more information about the SIP Consortium and its charter members, visit www.sipconsortium.com.

Media Contact: Rich Moore
New Venture Communications
415-608-7441
rmoore@newventurecom.com

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