IBM tapped for DC network

IBM Corp., in partnership with federal, state and local public safety and transportation agencies, will build a public safety and data communications network for the Washington metropolitan region.

IBM of Armonk, N.Y., will receive $20 million for its work on the Capital Wireless Integrated Network, also known as CapWIN, the company said. CapWIN is designed to provide firefighters, police, transportation officials and other authorized emergency personnel in the Washington area with wireless access to multiple government data sources during critical incidents.

The nucleus of CapWIN is IBM's first-responder interoperability solution. It offers security features that meet or exceed FBI standards for mobile data communications, IBM said.

IBM's partners on the project are Templar Corp., P.B. Farradyne Inc., TeleCommunication Systems Corp. and Pelican Mobile Computers Inc.