Canada to Employ Groundbreaking Satellite Tracking Systems
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Track24, a leading global provider of Situational Command and Control (SCC) operational solutions, is breaking ground in the Canadian market with its innovative satellite tracking devices. In response to the growing need for secure satellite data communications within the military and other government organizations, the Canadian government has awarded Track24 a $1 million contract to supply short burst data (SBD) services from Iridium Communications Inc., operating the world's furthest reaching communications network.
At its core, the technology allows for customers in the defense and security sectors to track messaging panic alerts, affording them critical situational awareness and the ability to locate the right person in the right area at the right time.
“Government departments often need innovative, high-value satellite services at short notice,” notes Director of Canadian satellite services at Track24, Giles Peeters. Iridium's SBD service can transmit messages in small data packets via its satellite network in under 20 seconds.
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“We are able to use our vast experience to provide secure, reliable solutions to help user communities function in a controlled, safe and effective manner,” he adds.
An ex-military man himself, Peeters has been working in the military technology sector for some 19 years, having served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
“In Afghanistan, I noticed that we had a lot of capability gaps,” says Peeters. “What we [at Track24] are specializing in is being commercial, cost-effective and high-capability solutions to that space—an area where we have become a world leader.”
After about two years of development, those solutions will finally come to fruition in a major world government. Industries across Canada will soon be able to gain access to the unique, high-security, affordable technology capable of integrating multiple networks without interruption.
“We are already talking orders with a number of government departments across Canada who will capitalize on the benefits that these satellite solutions can provide,” says Peeters. “If you know where your assets are you can much more efficiently direct those assets and use what you need in an urgent situation.”
It's no surprise then that the company's biggest users are in defense. Cutting-edge Blue Force, Homeland or private security satellite tracking, command and control solutions are critical for safe, successful operations in the military—control being the key word. It allows for commanders to communicate and monitor the location of men and vehicles on one of the most advanced interfaces in the world.
“If someone presses the panic alert button, you don't want 100 troops all rushing over just to pick someone up,” explains Peeters. “You want to know what the issue is and where your nearest responders are.”
The same concept can be applied to the commercial sector where, for instance, a non-serious roadside accident would typically attract an unnecessary number of cop cars, ambulances or fire trucks.
“One of the neat things about our technology is that if you press the emergency response button, it will not only automatically send the precision record and emergency details back to the headquarters, but also detect where the closest responders are to that emergency,” says Peeters.
Mining and oil companies, too, are picking up on the security benefits of the tracking systems to secure extremely valuable assets like pipelines, aircraft, ships and operators.
In the next few years, Peeters believes the systems will reshape the way the world looks at technology, and a new standard will be set for linking up technologies in operations under one gateway. NATO has already employed a similar solution, providing one gateway system for 27 different nations of media outlets to access.
“In a matter of time, operators will just be able to show up and literally plug into a gateway, enabling everyone to speak to each other under a certain data standard,” says Peeters. “The challenge now is to educate people on the benefits of that technology.”
