Altobridge Honoured with Frost & Sullivan Technology Innovation Award for its Groundbreaking AM Gateway Platform

June 13, 2006

London, 13th June 2006…The 2006 Frost & Sullivan Technology Innovation Award in the field of homeland security for container applications is presented to Altobridge Ltd. The Ireland-based company’s pioneering multi-layered communications gateway solution — the AM Gateway Platform— has significantly enhanced maritime security. This high-performance, cost-effective solution successfully bridges the communications gap between ships at sea and container transporting authorities.

“Altobridge’s AM Gateway Platform is an innovative communications technology that supports continuous communication about the status of containers and provides ubiquitous coverage for all containers, cargo, monitoring devices, eSeals and RFID tags across all ships, enabling cost effective two-way communications with surveillance centres,” observes Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Ashwini Meena. “Importantly, this container security solution addresses the need for communication in territories where the standard form of communication is not possible, such as ships at sea or containers located in areas with inadequate wireless coverage.”

Using Altobridge’s sophisticated AM gateway platform and a simple distributed antenna system, a standard wireless network can be generated and accessed from all parts of a ship. This network is connected to the terrestrial telecommunication network through the ship’s existing legacy satellite system.

“This makes the solution extremely cost-effective,” Meena adds. “However, the most significant feature of this technology is the use of the satellite channel only for actually sending key messages to or from the ship and when the link is used, it is done so efficiently, which greatly reduces the overhead cost of permanent satellite communications.”

Mike Fitzgerald, CEO of Altobridge, says, “We are delighted that our endeavours have been recognised by this prestigious Frost & Sullivan Award. While our technology is unique, it is very much based on addressing the practical requirements of the container tracking, monitoring and general maritime security markets by simply extending standard terrestrial wireless service out to sea. Now the maritime world can benefit, in the same way that we do today, from the economies of scale that have driven down the cost of standard available wireless chipsets. While industry continues to invest heavily in the enhancement of monitoring, detection and tracking technology, associated communication costs at sea can now be greatly removed. Crew, Officer and device communication together generate the revenue to justify this new service offering on the world’s oceans.”

Such a gateway makes possible random, exception based or scheduled reporting, even direct container status/content interrogation is possible. The gateway connects the wireless picocell, such as GSM (patents include all wireless technologies such as CDMA, WiFi) base stations, to the already available satellite (e.g. Inmarsat) terminals on ships. These ‘Remote Gateways’ communicate back to a central ‘Ground Gateway’, the Ground Gateway can be placed anywhere between the ground earth station (GES) and the wireless carrier’s switch. The wireless carrier provides the actual service.

“Altobridge’s technology features better functionality, lower costs and a greater level of security – all very important factors in the container security sector. Moreover, in addition to ensuring continuity of security coverage both on land and at sea, its compatibility with all leading maritime satellite bearers helps users reduce the cost of any potential retrofits,” concludes Meena.

Frost & Sullivan’s Technology Innovation Award is bestowed upon a company/individual that has carried out new research, which has resulted in innovation(s) that have or are expected to bring significant contributions to the industry in terms of adoption, change, and competitive posture. This award recognises the quality and depth of a company’s research and development programme, as well as the vision and risk-taking that has enabled it to undertake such an endeavour.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognise companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research in order to identify best practices in the industry.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company, has been partnering with clients to support the development of innovative strategies for more than 40 years. The company’s industry expertise integrates growth consulting, growth partnership services and corporate management training to identify and develop opportunities. Frost & Sullivan serves an extensive clientele that includes Global 1000 companies, emerging companies, and the investment community, by providing comprehensive industry coverage that reflects a unique global perspective and combines ongoing analysis of markets, technologies, econometrics, and demographics. For more information, visit www.frost.com.

About Altobridge

Altobridge (www.altobridge.com), based in Kerry Technology Park, Ireland and McLean, VA, USA. is a leading provider of wireless telecommunications solutions. Its core patented AM Gateway Platform™ enables standard cost-effective wireless service in the most remote and challenging markets. The solution has been successfully tested and deployed in the aeronautical, maritime, remote terrestrial/community and secure military/first responder communications markets. This new ‘Split Communications Architecture’ is based on standard wireless communications protocols and bridges the barriers of entry, which prohibited Return on Investment from these subscriber groups.

For further information contact:
Altobridge Ltd,
Kerry Technology Park,
Tralee,
Co. Kerry,
Ireland.
Tel: +353 66 719 0210
Fax: +353 66 719 0022
Email: info@altobridge.com

For media and analyst enquiries contact:
Tim Guest
Altobridge Corporate Communications
Mob: +44 7956 257069
E: tguest@altobridge.com

Kristina Menzefricke
Frost & Sullivan
Tel: +44 (0) 207 343 8376
E: kristina.menzefricke@frost.com

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Kristina Menzefricke

Frost & Sullivan

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