M/A-Com nabs Washington police radio deal

M/A-Com Inc. has won a $4.5 million contract from the Washington State Patrol for land-mobile radio communications, the company announced this week.

Under the contract, M/A-Com of Lowell, Mass., will provide in-band, dual-receive mobile and portable radios that can connect to an IP network.

The new technology and equipment will let Washington State Patrol troops use disparate radio systems to communicate via a network solution, the company said.

The ability to deliver radio communications with IP capability was key to M/A-Com's success in winning out over competitors that also are approved under the Western States Contracting Alliance. The Washington State Patrol contract was part of the state's radio communication contract, which fell under the purview of the alliance.

M/A-Com, a provider of communications systems and equipment for public safety, utility, federal and commercial markets, is a unit of Tyco Electronics Corp. of Harrisburg, Pa.

Tyco has 81,000 employees and annual sales of $10.3 billion, according to Hoovers Online of Austin, Texas.