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Technology Stocks : Ascend Communications (ASND) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Sector Investor who wrote (32448)	1/29/1998 9:04:00 AM
From: Finder	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 61433

Gary- Could you please show us the premarket trading in Ascend? It looks like it will be slightly lower.

To: Sector Investor who wrote (32448)	1/29/1998 9:30:00 AM
From: Glenn D. Rudolph	Respond to of 61433

New Motorola Trunked Radio Systems Bring High-Tech Communications Inside Prison Walls PR Newswire - January 29, 1998 08:37 MOT %TLS V%PRN P%PRN SPRINGFIELD, I11., Jan. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- New Motorola two-way radio systems just installed at Pontiac and Stateville Correctional Centers bring to correctional staff the kind of communications technology more often used outside the walls by police and fire departments. "Fire, police and emergency medical services personnel depend on sophisticated communications equipment to help them serve large geographic areas," said Odie Washington, director of the Illinois Department of Corrections. "Correctional personnel need equally sophisticated systems to manage communications needs in confined areas with many existing barriers to effective communications." The Motorola 800 MHz SMARTNET(TM) systems were designed to answer the prisons' need for reliable radio communication in an environment of concrete, steel, corridors and underground tunnels. The Department of Corrections moved from the UHF radio systems the facilities had used because 800 MHz radio signals were shown to penetrate prison structures more effectively. Each system cost about $1 million. "The radio systems we've designed to meet Pontiac's and Stateville's needs can be models for systems at correctional facilities in Illinois and in other states," Washington added. The new radio systems provide reliable communication both inside and outside the facilities. "We have clear communication from one hand-held unit to another," said George DeTella, Stateville warden. "With our old system, we had to go through the dispatcher about two-thirds of the time. Now communication is much faster. This helps us take appropriate action faster." The Pontiac and the Stateville systems both have a built-in encryption capability that is designed to allow privacy for the users. Some specially equipped portable radios can be connected to telephone lines, giving users the ability to communicate by phone from within the facility, on the grounds or from the surrounding community. Dispatchers in the prisons' control rooms can instantly see the identity of a radio unit on the communications console's CRT screen if a user presses the emergency ID button or if a radio has tilted more than 30 degrees from vertical for too long, which may indicate a staff member needs help. "This instant user information is critical," DeTella explained. "It provides an important security feature for our officers." Each of the new systems has a single transmit-and-receive site and four two-way radio channels. The systems use trunking technology, which enables the radio system's computerized controller to select an available channel automatically when a user presses the radio's push-to-talk button. Each facility can create "talk groups" so that staff who communicate frequently can do so privately. Stateville has created 16 talk groups, Pontiac has 15. The radio systems are designed to allow for many more. "It's important that talk groups can be quickly reconfigured so that tactical teams and everyone else can communicate in an emergency situation," said Pontiac Warden Jerry Gilmore. Pontiac and Stateville each purchased more than 300 Motorola MTS 200O(TM) portable radios. Correctional officers received training from Motorola in programming the radios. Both facilities use advanced Motorola CENTRACOM(TM) GOLD Classic(TM) computerized control consoles. With these consoles, dispatchers control all communications traffic and link the trunked systems to the facilities' telephone lines and to the UHF and low-band radio systems, which are used when staff members must communicate with other state correctional facilities. The computerized communications infrastructures for Motorola's two-way radio systems are manufactured in Schaumburg, Ill. Each system is designed to meet the unique requirements of public-safety organizations. "Motorola is pleased that the Department of Corrections has chosen our trunked systems to meet their complex communications needs," said Jackie Wasni, Motorola area sales manager. "These systems are the most technologically sophisticated available and have the design flexibility to accommodate new features and capabilities that will serve these facilities well into the future." Motorola's Land Mobile Products Sector designs, manufactures and distributes analog and digital two-way voice and data radio products and systems for applications worldwide, from on-site to wide-area communications. Motorola is one of the world's leading providers of wireless communications semiconductors and advanced electronics systems, components and services. Major equipment businesses include cellular telephone, two-way radio, paging and data communications; automotive, defense, and space electronics, and computers. Motorola semiconductors power communications devices, computers and millions of other products. Motorola's 1997 sales were $29.8 billion. SOURCE Motorola /CONTACT: Joyce Jackson of the Illinois Department of Corrections, 217-522-2666, ext. 2008; or Pat Sturmon of Motorola, 847-576-6612/ /Photo: newscom.com or NewsCom, 305-448-8411; AP PhotoExpress Network, PRN1; PressLink Online, 800-888-6195/ (MOT)