PIREAUS, Greece, June 7, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- EMS SATCOM, a division of EMS Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:ELMG), announced today at Posidonia 2004, the launch of the Ship Security Alert System (SSAS).
EMS's SSAS has been designed to meet the demands of SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea), Chapter XI-2, Regulation 6, which requires all Class 1 and 2 international trading vessels to be provided with ship security alert systems. Some 20,000 Class 1 vessels worldwide will be required to install a SSAS on or before June 30, 2005, while Class 2 vessels, numbering 25,000, have until June 30, 2007.
With an independent power supply and covert activation points, the EMS Satcom SSAS will automatically send an alert via the COSPAS-SARSAT network. This alert is then routed to the appropriate authority. Operating over the COSPAS-SARSAT network gives EMS's SSAS a distinct advantage over other systems on the market -- cost savings due to the absence of airtime charges for utilizing this network.
Features of the EMS SSAS unit include an independent power supply with a seven-year, long-life battery, a simple interface for external GPS input, and low weight (1.27 kg). It will also have a significantly lower price than comparable alternatives.
EMS has provided ground equipment and management systems for use with the COSPAS-SARSAT satellite system since its launch in 1981. The system has been credited with saving more than 15,000 lives by using spacecraft and ground facilities to detect and locate signals from distress beacons.
"Given our heritage with the COSPAS-SARSAT system, we are very pleased to be able to use this technology in the development of our SSAS. EMS is dedicated to providing its customers with the most advanced technology at an affordable price and enabling them to meet new regulations," said Jay McMillan, director of sales and marketing for the Maritime and Land Groups of EMS Technologies, SATCOM Division.
Neil Mackay, senior vice president and general manager of EMS's SATCOM Division, stated "The EMS SSAS is a simple, standalone, reliable, low-cost alternative to existing systems. We are very proud to extend our search-and-rescue business into the security market."
About EMS Technologies, Inc.
EMS Technologies, Inc. is a leading innovator in the design and manufacture of space and terrestrial wireless solutions, focusing its unique range of advanced technologies on the needs of broadband and mobile information users. The company is headquartered in Atlanta, employs approximately 1,700 people worldwide, and has major manufacturing facilities in Atlanta, Ottawa and Montreal.
The SATCOM Division of EMS Technologies, with offices in Ottawa and the UK, specializes in the design and development of satellite-based terminals and antennas for the aeronautical, land-mobile, emergency management and maritime markets. For more information, visit the company on the World Wide Web at www.ems-t.com.
Note to Editors: Please visit EMS SATCOM at Posidonia 2004 in Booth No. 693 or at the online press room at www.emssatcom.com/posidonia2004.