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Author: Cornelia Wels-Maug
The Procurement Office of the German ministry of the interior has awarded the European Aeronautic Defence and Space (EADS) Company a contract to build a nationwide digital voice and data transmission network for German authorities and organizations with special security tasks (BOS). The contract has a potential value of €1bn, and EADS will be the prime contractor. As a systems integrator, EADS will combine the technologies and components from all the involved parties into one platform. Siemens, acting as a strategic partner, will replace the analogue police radio network with one based on terrestrial trunked radio (TETRA) technology by the end of 2010.
Comment: This is yet another major IT project from a German government body that has seen many delays (Toll Collect and Herkules also spring to mind). However, being placed under the responsibility of EADS is a major step forward.
EADS has used the time taken by difficult discussions between federal government and the states, over how to finance the project, to increase its prospects to win the actual bid. By acquiring Nokia's Professional Mobile Radio activities last September, EADS added Nokia's expertise with TETRA technology to its own with TETRAPOL technology, and now offers the two major technology platforms used in Europe for purposes of public safety and security.
EADS's competence in the field of TETRA, the fact that it has set up over 150 digital radio networks globally, 30 of them being nationwide BOS networks, and its already proven track record in working for German government agencies, have been valuable credentials. However, it won the contract on the grounds of being the most cost-effective supplier.
Though the size of the contract is impressive, it does not include the actual running and maintenance of the network itself, which is expected to be worth around the same amount. DB Telematik, a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn, the German railway, has long been under consideration to run that part of the business, but there is still some time before a decision will be made on this.
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