Iridium has joined with more than 20 industry partners to create a new alliance with the primary goal of fostering the rapid and orderly market development for portable two-way satellite-based location, tracking and messaging devices.

The industry group, known as the ProTECTS (Promotion of Two-way Emergency Communication and Tracking Systems) Alliance, is providing a forum for addressing issues affecting the suppliers and users of these vital safety devices. It is also facilitating the development of satellite data solutions meeting the requirements of the growing user base of government and business organizations deploying portable tracking devices, as well as the public-safety community.

	Patrick Shay

“There is a rapidly emerging market for satellite personal tracking and distress alerting devices,” said Patrick Shay, a vice president at Iridium. “A major goal of the ProTECTS Alliance is to work in a collaborative atmosphere to develop broad-based industry standards that will ensure interoperability with global search-and-rescue (SAR) organizations, with systems and response procedures. We believe there is strong need for a standard based on two-way data as opposed to one-way (simplex) data links.”

Shay noted that there have been numerous reports from the National Park Service for example, this past summer of cases in which distress alerts from simplex data devices have triggered unnecessary and potentially dangerous rescue missions in response to what turned out to be accidental activations or user errors.

Admiral James Loy

Retired Admiral James Loy, former U.S. Coast Guard Commandant and U.S. Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, commented, “While one-way emergency beacons can provide a valuable aid to life-saving services, experience has shown that they can have a high incidence of false alerts triggered by accidental activations. This places a tremendous burden on first responders and search-and-rescue authorities. The large number of distress alert messages makes it impractical, and prohibitively expensive, to launch rescue operations without determining whether it is a real emergency or accidental activation.”

“If there is an interactive, two-way data link, first responders can send a return message to the transmitting beacon to ascertain whether it is a bona-fide distress situation and determine the nature of the emergency before deploying resources in response,” said Shay. “It also gives the mobile user a reassurance that the distress message has been received and that help is on the way.”

Membership in the ProTECTS Alliance is open to mobile satellite companies, service providers, product developers, manufacturers, system integrators, network operators, resellers, distributors, retailers, users, consultants, SAR organizations, first responders, trade associations, national and international regulatory bodies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

The first organizational meeting is scheduled to take place on January 22, 2010 in conjunction with Iridium’s annual partner conference in Arizona. At that time, members will have an opportunity to network, hear from subject matter experts, such as NSRAC and members of the Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services (RTCM), and discuss a plan of action for the group going forward, including implementation of standards. Regular meetings will be scheduled at major industry conferences, events and trade shows. The group plans to report out findings from the meetings in order to generate additional interest as it expands in 2010.