SAFE BORDERS-The Border Security Solution You Probably Never Heard Of.
Spectrum offers a Border Control solution (software program) to assist this growing problem. The border control problem is well known. Significant resources ($$$$$$) are/will be expended to solve this problem. By DHS’ own admission the current ISIS infrastructure is rudimentary and out of date. Most of our borders are completely unprotected. Thousands upon thousands of additional agents are not the solution.
Potential contracts and licensing agreements appear imminent. This from Spectrum's most recent SEC filing.
(10QSB/A 06/07/05)
Marketing and Status of Safe Borders
Technically, Spectrum has continued to enhance the functionality of the existing application. In addition and at the request of a major systems integrator preparing for the America Shield Initiative (“ASI”) procurement, Spectrum is developing another major module for the Safe Borders planning and analysis software application. This module will allow planners to simulate and optimize the planning and placement of surface-based sensors, both fixed and mobile. We anticipate this capability to be an important requirement in the ASI procurement.
Promising second quarter 2005 activities include securing a significant teaming agreement with a major systems integrator pursuing the ASI as a Prime contractor. The ASI is a Border Patrol initiative which will first retrofit and upgrade the existing Border Patrol Integrated Surveillance Intelligence System (“ISIS”) used on the US northern border with Canada and then completely reengineers this system. We are in various stages of technical and business discussions with three potential Primes while establishing communications with a number of second tier systems integrators for the same procurement. We would anticipate that any teaming agreement would include Safe Borders software licensing, recurring software support and maintenance and Border Patrol tailoring revenue, as well as on going software module development / integration and border security expertise revenues. We would like to position ourselves in nonexclusive, subcontract teaming agreement(s) for the ASI procurement but this may not be possible.
In addition, we have completed the second round of working group meetings with border control/law enforcement agencies in Arizona and have hired a consultant in Arizona to continue the on-going due diligence (“DD”) activities associated with these agencies. These meetings and the information gleaned will provide Spectrum with an enviable library of border agency/law enforcement expertise required in any successful ASI program team. Spectrum conducted a Safe Borders presentation/demonstration at the Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”), Applied Technology Division and Office of Border Patrol (“OBP”) sections at the invitation of the Acting Assistant Commissioner, CBP in November 2004. Our presentation was well received and Safe Borders now has the requisite exposure with appropriate CBP, Border Patrol and ASI personnel. In addition, the OBP has requested that we suspend our DD activities with field Border Patrol personnel in anticipation of the pending ASI procurement (i.e., the “blackout” period). The ASI Request for Proposal is expected in the July/August 2005 timeframe.
EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW, PLEASE READ ON.
In order to understand Safe borders IMO you need to first understand its parent Safe Range. Below are a few links that will help.
specsci.com
specsci.com
specsci.com
The majority of the information available about Safe Borders can be found in the SEC filings. Below I have extracted the information and placed it chronologically as it was made available.
(10KSB 4/14/04)
STATUS OF NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Spectrum currently has a promising internal Research & Development (R&D) program in place to transition our highly successful Safe Range software application to a new software product line called "Safe-Borders". Safe-Borders is designed to address the definition of remote sensing requirements that a number of government agencies are facing today. Though initially directed toward border security and control requirements of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Spectrum has identified numerous government and commercial applications for the technology. Spectrum will be introducing the Safe-Borders technology to a number of DHS and other potential government customers in the first and second quarter of fiscal year 2004.
In addition, Spectrum has another complementary R&D program consisting of the design and development of a prototype Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The UAV is designed to prove out Safe-Borders software command and control capabilities; is designed as a low-cost/"expendable" and flexibly configured alternative to the highly expensive, single mission focused crafts available today.
Marketing Strategy For Safe Borders
Spectrum plans to license the Safe-Borders technology where the technology applies to a very specific mission area. Example mission areas would be "Illegal immigration on the southern US border", "Harbor/port surveillance and protection", and "Search and rescue". Upon licensing the technology to the government agency or commercial entity identified with the particular mission area, the Safe-Borders application would be specifically tailored to that mission area creating another on-going revenue stream.
In addition, the Company plans to partner with (a) large System Integration/Defense contractor(s) to:
1) Provide access to potential customers; and
2) Provide major systems integration credibility for the myriad of potential systems integration activities that could surround the implementation of the Safe-Borders application.
Working with differing integrators may also provide a Safe-Borders "branding"/licensing opportunity.
Government Regulation
There would be no more regulation concerning the product licensing and services contracting than exist now for the licensing and contracting associated with our Safe-Range application.
(10QSB 8/23/04)
Marketing and Status of Safe Borders
As of the end of second quarter, 2004, we have developed a core capability in three (3) of the five (5) basic modules for our Safe Borders product, as designed. The three modules with core capabilities are the: 1) Detection Analyses module, 2) Sensor Planning module, and 3) Airborne Mission Planning module. The core capabilities in the three developed modules are robust and functionally effective in their current state. The functionality, as built today, could be used by a mission planner to perform detection analysis, sensor planning or airborne mission planning.
To date, Safe Borders represents approximately 10,000 Lines of Code (LOC). It is designed and developed as an object oriented (OO) application and is written in Delphi's development environment. By comparison Safe Range represents 70,000 LOC (structured), but this must be qualified by the fact that Safe Range is not an OO application. By being written as an OO application, much efficiency is realized in the OO LOC metric. Object oriented applications (OO) provide numerous other benefits.
Safe Borders is being designed as a component-based application framework. This will allow custom applications to be built quickly, providing a rapid response to new user requirement and/or changing user requirements.
At the beginning of the program in 2003, Safe Borders had limited functionality (or proof-of-concept) prototypes. These prototypes were used to elicit market reaction and market requirements. Today, we have a fairly robust demonstration product, as well as supporting collateral, web site and customer lead lists.
Promising third quarter activities include delivering a Safe Borders presentation/demonstration at a joint meeting of the Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Applied Technology Division and the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, Office of Air and Marine Interdiction, C2ISR (Command, Control Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance) section at the invitation of the Acting Assistant Commissioner, CBP. In addition, Spectrum will be attending an Industry Days function (by specific invitation) conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), Deepwater Program, August 31 - September 2, 2004. The Deepwater Program is the USCG's multi-billion dollar program to replace all ships and aircraft (to include Unmanned Aerial Vehicles - UAVs) over the next 10 years.
(10QSB 11/15/04)
Marketing and Status of Safe Borders
Promising fourth quarter activities include second level demonstrations and business negotiations with a major systems integrator in support of the America Shield Initiative. This Border Patrol initiative will first retrofit and upgrade the existing Border Patrol Integrated Surveillance Intelligence System (ISIS) used on the US northern border with Canada and then completely reengineer this system. In addition, we will be scheduling work group meetings with border patrol agencies in Arizona for southern US border activities. We anticipate these working group meetings taking place in the December - January timeframe. A Safe Borders presentation/demonstration at a joint meeting of the Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Applied Technology Division and the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Office of Air and Marine Interdiction, C2ISR (Command, Control, Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance) section at the invitation of the Acting Assistant Commissioner, CBP, was delayed by the CBP (from anticipated third quarter activities). This delay was due to a new reorganization which will integrate the certain border protection activities from the ICE back into the CBP.
Technically, Spectrum has continued to enhance the functionality of the existing Safe Borders application. To-date, Safe Borders represents approximately 13,000 lines of code.
(10KSB 4/13/05)
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
SSSI owns the design, certain algorithms, processing procedures and source code to our mainstay software applications, Safe Range and Safe Borders. We also license various other Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies used in and distributed within the executable versions of our software applications. In a recent challenge concerning source code rights by the U.S. Navy, SSSI successfully had software source code ownership issues adjudicated by our Contracting Officer and legal department at the USAF Air Combat Command (ACC).
We believe that the intellectual property rights used in our software applications were independently developed or duly licensed by us or by the technology companies who supplied portions of our software systems. We are in the process of registering the Safe Range and Safe Borders trademarks and have secured numerous, applicable domain names to ensure market entry when appropriate. We believe that the “Safe Range” trade name connotes the maturity and, most importantly, the perfect safety record, associated with our Safe Range software application, which has been subject to over twenty (20) years of progressive enhancements and improvement. Our trade names, “Safe Range” and “Safe Borders,” are prominently displayed on all physical media, CDs, briefings, documentation, etc., as well as all electronic media associated with the individual software products. We intend to maintain our trademarks and registrations (when complete) and all internet domain names now registered. We are not aware of any material claims of infringement or other challenges to our right to use the “Safe Range” or “Safe Borders” trademarks in the United States.
STATUS OF NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Spectrum has continued to enhance the technical functionality of the existing application by focusing on initiatives generated through our on-going market research. Safe Borders has continued to be expanded through the use of more robust methodologies and simulations. First and second quarter calendar year 2005 activities related to Safe Borders include securing a significant teaming agreement with a major systems integrator pursuing the Americas Shield Initiative (ASI) as a Prime contractor. The ASI is a Border Patrol initiative which will first retrofit and upgrade the existing Border Patrol Integrated Surveillance Intelligence System (ISIS) used on the U.S. northern border with Canada and then completely reengineer this system. We are in various stages of technical and business discussions with three potential Primes while establishing communications with a number of second tier Systems Integrators for the same procurement. We would anticipate that any teaming agreement would include provisions for Safe Borders software licensing revenues, support and maintenance and Border Patrol tailoring revenue, as well as on-going software module development/integration and border security expertise revenues. We would like to position ourselves in nonexclusive, subcontract teaming agreement(s) for the ASI procurement, but this may not be possible.
In addition, we have completed the first round of working group meetings with border control/law enforcement agencies in Arizona and are scheduling a second round of follow-up, due diligence meetings with these agencies. These meetings have provided Spectrum with access to extensive border agency/law enforcement expertise required of any ASI program team member.
Spectrum conducted a Safe Borders presentation/demonstration at the Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Applied Technology Division and Office of Border Patrol (OBP) sections at the invitation of the Acting Assistant Commissioner of the CBP in November 2004. Safe Borders now has the favorable exposure with appropriate CBP, Border Patrol and ASI personnel. In addition, the OBP has requested that we suspend our due diligence activities with field Border Patrol personnel in anticipation of the pending ASI procurement (i.e., the “blackout” period prior to the release of the formal request for proposal).
Safe Borders
Spectrum plans to license the Safe Borders technology where the technology applies to a very specific mission area. Example mission areas would be “Illegal immigration on the southern US border”, “Harbor/port surveillance and protection”, and “Search and rescue”. Upon licensing the technology to a government agency identified with the particular mission area, the Safe Borders application would be specifically tailored to that mission area creating another on-going revenue stream.
In addition, the Company plans to partner with one or more large System Integration/Defense contractors to:
·Provide access to potential customers; and
·Provide major systems integration credibility for the myriad of potential systems integration activities that could surround the implementation of the Safe Borders application.
Working with differing integrators may also provide a Safe Borders “branding”/licensing opportunity.
Now if you take it back to the top and the most recent filing this makes for a very compelling story.
Makes you wonder why you probaly never heard of it. Guess you can't say that anymore. :) |
