CDW-G Provides Mobile Wireless Computing Solution to Leawood, Kansas Police
Technology Enhances First Responder Communication and Improves Officer Safety
Vernon Hills, IL - May 2, 2005 - CDW Government, Inc. (CDW-G) - a wholly owned subsidiary of CDW Corporation (NASDAQ: CDWC) and leading source of information technology (IT) solutions to governments and educators - today announced that the Leawood, Kansas Police Department has deployed a mobile wireless technology solution - powered by 20 Panasonic Toughbook® laptops - in its patrol cars and other marked vehicles.
The rugged Toughbook-73 laptops have increased information sharing capabilities and improved officer safety by providing greater visibility and coordination between the Leawood Police Department and officers from surrounding counties' police departments. At the same time, the technology has improved officers' productivity by allowing them to complete reports in the field, freeing up more time for patrolling the streets.
"Having the laptops in our squad cars has changed how we work," said Jack Reece, information systems specialist for the Leawood Police Department. "Officers can run license plates without having to call the dispatcher, and they can monitor where other officers are located on a call. As a result, our safety, productivity and cooperation have reached new highs."
Prior to having mobile wireless capability, communication between officers and dispatchers was difficult. Often rushing from one call to the next, officers were regularly forced to record and transmit critical information using ad hoc methods, with some communications requiring multiple transmissions over a two-way radio. Now dispatchers send calls directly to the in-car laptop, ensuring that officers have accurate and complete information - all within the officer's line of sight. In addition, communications and cooperation among surrounding jurisdictions have significantly improved, as Leawood officers and those in several adjacent communities also use Intergraph Public Safety's Computer Aided Dispatch System. This enables participating jurisdictions to view each other's calls on screen and respond more quickly to evolving emergency situations.
The five jurisdictions using this common software - Leawood, Olathe, Overland Park, Shawnee and the Johnson County Sheriff's Department - also use the point-and-click interface of the dispatch system to access local, state and national databases to search for criminal records, putting justice and homeland security information directly into the hands of front-line responders.
Police officers use Microsoft® Office to create reports in their cars and transmit them to the office over the wireless network. This eliminates the need for officers to return to headquarters to fill out and file routine paperwork. As an added value, officers benefit from software that translates between English and Spanish, helping officers communicate with Spanish-speaking individuals.
"By responding with a sense of urgency to the Leawood Police Department's IT needs, CDW-G helped ensure they quickly put the right technology on the road," said Chris Rother, CDW-G vice president of state and local sales. "The Police Department saw a rapid return on investment, as officers are spending more time on the streets and responding to events faster as a result of improved coordination with surrounding jurisdictions."
CDW-G's industry-leading business model includes making knowledgeable sales teams available to assist customers in making the right procurement decisions from a broad product selection and in obtaining comprehensive technical support and competitive pricing. In addition, CDW-G offers a variety of services through the company's award-winning extranet program, which provides each state and local government customer with a customized e-commerce site that enables secure access to the customer's account teams, product information and purchase history. Customers can track their purchases, manage asset-tagged hardware, inventory their software licenses and order configured products via the extranet site. These customized e-commerce sites ensure state and local governments a simple, comprehensive purchasing interface to better control their procurement processes.
Customers further benefit from CDW-G's ability to leverage the 450,000-square-foot automated processing and shipping facility of its parent company, CDW Corporation, which offers more than 100,000 products from approximately 1,000 leading manufacturers. Coupled with large in-stock inventories, CDW-G can respond with a sense of urgency to government agencies' needs, providing rapid turnaround, industry-leading order management and best-in-class products and solutions.
About CDW-G
A wholly owned subsidiary of CDW Corporation (NASDAQ: CDWC), a FORTUNE 500 company, CDW Government (CDW-G) is a trusted technology advisor to federal, state and local government agencies, as well as to educational institutions at all levels. CDW-G offers best-in-class technology products and services from top-name brands such as APC, Apple, Cisco, HP, IBM, Microsoft, Sony, Symantec, Toshiba and ViewSonic. For more information about CDW-G product offerings, procurement options, service and solutions, call 1.800.863.4239, or visit the CDW-G Web site at CDWG.com.
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