[January 29, 2014] |
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McMurdo Group Launched to Accelerate Integration of Search and Rescue Technologies into Solutions That Save Time, Costs and Lives
SOPHIA ANTIPOLIS, France --(Business Wire)--
A new global leader in end-to-end search and rescue (SAR) and maritime
domain awareness (MDA (News - Alert)) solutions was announced today - McMurdo Group.
Comprised of Orolia's former Positioning, Tracking and Monitoring
Division1, McMurdo Group combines proven brands Boatracs,
Kannad, McMurdo and Techno-Sciences, Inc.2 into the
industry's first, single-vendor provider of end-to-end life-saving and
tracking solutions including distress beacons, satellite connectivity
infrastructure, monitoring/positioning software and emergency response
management.
"The formation of McMurdo Group is an opportunity to lead, simplify and
educate a fragmented, complex market with a unified strategy and an
expansive solutions offering unparalleled in the industry today," said
Jean-Yves Courtois, CEO of McMurdo Group. "The end result will be the
acceleration of more effective and innovative SAR and MDA solutions that
will create benefits for our customers today and in the future."
With more than 140 years of collective experience in emergency
preparedness, vessel management and rescue operations, McMurdo Group
will focus on three key strategic areas:
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Search and Rescue - improving the rescue chain to further
expedite recovery times
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Maritime Domain Awareness - driving convergence of fleet/vessel
management, intrusion detection and coastal surveillance solutions to
improve operations and enhance security
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Technology Partner Solutions - integrating technology,
componentry and software platforms into third-party solutions to
extend SAR and MDA systems into new markets and geographies
Search and Rescue McMurdo Group currently manufactures
nearly 25 percent of the world's emergency beacons3 which are
used by major aviation, marine and military customers including Airbus,
Boeing (News - Alert), the U.S. Coast Guard, the British Royal Navy and several
government agencies. The group recently announced its intention to
acquire Techno-Sciences Inc. (TSi), oe of the world's top providers of
ground station infrastructure for the International COSPAS-SARSAT
satellite-based search and rescue system, which has helped save nearly
35,000 lives since 1982.4
In a typical satellite-based search and rescue scenario, ships, aircraft
or individuals transmit distress signals from an emergency location
beacon via satellite to a fixed ground receiving station. The ground
receiving station calculates the location of the emergency and generates
an alert for the appropriate rescue authorities. Today, the
beacon-to-alert process can take several minutes or longer. McMurdo
Group's involvement in the development and implementation of the
next-generation COSPAS-SARSAT system (MEOSAR) will reduce this time to a
few seconds.
Maritime Domain Awareness The current fragmentation of
environmental, security, safety and SAR situational awareness systems
provides an opportunity for convergence. McMurdo Group plans to
contribute to this effort by integrating its broad range of MDA, SAR and
Automatic Identification System (AIS) technologies into solutions that
streamline operations and protect assets. For example, McMurdo Group's
fleet/vessel management software, currently used on thousands of vessels
and in 5 of the 6 top inland waterway transportation companies in the
U.S., includes AIS beacon and man overboard (MOB) functionality. McMurdo
Group also provides an offshore safety/security solution used to manage
the world's longest contiguous coastal surveillance system (3,000km) and
maintain simultaneous AIS tracking on up to 60,000 vessels.
Technology Partner Solutions Through its Technology Partner
Solution strategy, McMurdo Group will offer customized products and
expertise in hardware/software product design, development, engineering
and manufacturing to partners. McMurdo Group's specialized industry
knowledge will be critical as partners integrate SAR and MDA
functionality into their current and future offerings. A large provider
of satellite systems and services, for example, partners today with
McMurdo Group to design and supply specialized beacons to monitor
fishing fleets in over 70 countries.
"Whether it is a beacon, satellite infrastructure or monitoring
software, we will have a solution," said Jean-Yves Courtois, CEO McMurdo
Group. "This will allow our existing customers and partners as well as
those in new markets or geographies to confidently build solutions for
remote or high-risk environments knowing they are backed by the
intelligence and technology of the SAR and MDA industry leader."
For more information about McMurdo Group, please visit
www.mcmurdogroup.com.
About McMurdo Group McMurdo Group is a global leader in
search and rescue and maritime domain awareness solutions. A division of
Orolia (NYSE Alternext Paris - FR0010501015 - ALORO), McMurdo Group
brings together 140 combined years of experience by consolidating proven
Boatracs, Kannad, McMurdo and Techno-Sciences, Inc. (pending acquisition
close) brands into the industry's most comprehensive portfolio of
life-saving and tracking technologies that aid in rescue operations and
save lives. Airbus, Boeing, the British Royal Navy, the U.S. Coast
Guard, NASA and others are among the hundreds of aviation, maritime, and
military customers around the world using McMurdo Group distress
beacons, satellite connectivity infrastructure, monitoring/positioning
software and emergency response management solutions. Established in
January 2014, McMurdo Group is headquartered in Sophia Antipolis, France
and has additional offices in France, US and UK.
1 Orolia (NYSE Alternext Paris - FR0010501015 - ALORO) is the
holding company for McMurdo Group.
2 Intent to acquire Techno-Sciences, Inc. (TSi) was announced
on December 17, 2013. Pending acquisition close.
3 Source (News - Alert): McMurdo Group estimates based on 406MHz beacon
global shipping information 2009-2012
4 COSPAS-SARSAT Bulletin, September 2013, Issue 25
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