M2M System to Safeguard Vehicles Transporting Nuclear Materials

SAN DIEGO & SASKATOON, Saskatchewan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kyocera Wireless Corp., a leading global manufacturer of CDMA wireless handsets and devices, and International Road Dynamics (IRD), a leading intelligent transportation systems technology provider, have announced their collaboration on IRD's Active Nuclear Source Tool Alarm. The new radiation tampering alarm system integrates the award-winning Kyocera 200 Module for real time, CDMA wireless communications and safeguards vehicles carrying hazardous nuclear materials. The innovative alarm system satisfies new requirements of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for the safe transport of radioactive source materials. The solution has been approved for use with the largest CDMA carriers in North America as well as multiple regional carriers across the United States and Canada.

The Kyocera-enabled Active Nuclear Source Tool Alarm takes advantage of the inherent data capabilities and ubiquity of CDMA networks to provide mission-critical four-way protection against theft and dangerous accidents. First, the system requires positive driver authentication for operation of vehicles with a radiation source greater than 19 curries. In addition, the solution immobilizes vehicles parked in unsecured areas preventing unauthorized drivers from moving or stealing valuable resources. Finally, if the radiation source container is tampered with or damaged, an alarm sounds a high-pitched warning and simultaneously sends a message to both the IRD monitoring center and to a user-designated contact person. As a final layer of protection, an IRD technician contacts the user hot line as a redundant alert verification. Fail-safe points are built-in to give an employee time to shut down the drill if the alarm is accidentally tripped.

"With the Kyocera 200 Module already integrated in the IRD fleet management solution, IRD could easily and economically integrate a "plug & play" alarm solution to quickly provide a customer solution to protect resources, control costs and respond to new security standards required by the NRC," said Dean Fledderjohn, general manager of the M2M division at Kyocera Wireless Corp. "Smart investments in scalable M2M technology give enterprises who want to keep a competitive edge the flexibility to respond to the ever changing business environment."

The easy to deploy Active Nuclear Source Tool Alarm was designed for easy integration with IRD's industry-standard oil and gas fleet management solutions which allows remote GPS tracking of vehicles as well as increased productivity via remote monitoring and management of mission critical events, fleet vehicles and drivers. The new alarm is another in a series of innovative products designed for oil and gas and forestry industries that provide real-time interaction for a wide range of solutions such as: blast hazard switches and man-down alerts that allow 200+ meters effective distance from hazardous equipment; aftermarket seatbelt sensor kits for monitoring compliance with seatbelt safety regulations; central tire inflation systems to manage safety and onboard weight in harsh environments; and advanced driver scoring reports to reinforce safe driving behaviors.

"With homeland security challenges on the rise, often quickly and without warning, it's more important than ever to respond to customer needs promptly and as an integrated part of the team," said Tony Reynolds, fleet sales manager, International Road Dynamics. "We chose Kyocera Wireless as a communications technology partner for their easy to integrate and customer proven CDMA module. With Kyocera onboard, IRD can provide solid systems and solutions that allow customers to respond immediately to industry changes and protect their initial investments."

About the Kyocera 200 Module
The Kyocera 200 Module is designed to enable M2M and telemetry applications such as AVL, Fleet Management, SCADA, asset tracking, remote metering or security, wireless vending, exception reporting and wireless point-of-sale. The module is equipped with CDMA tri-mode capability (including AMPS), A-GPS position location capability and support for IS-2000 data rates (153KBps on forward and reverse links). Other features and functions include two-way Short Messaging Service (SMS) capabilities; simple and mobile IP; CDMA UDP Passive Server; TCP/IP protocol stack; AT command interface; socket interface, dual UARTs; analog audio; GPS and RF connectors; high-speed packet and circuit-switched data; and support for both 13k QCELP and EVRC vocoders.

Known for its strong carrier relationships, helpful developer tools and excellent customer service, Kyocera Wireless offers periodic developer conferences to assist module adopters and support wireless integration into OEM products and systems. A developer's kit and programming tools are available for purchase by module customers.

About Kyocera Wireless Corp.
Kyocera Wireless Corp. is a leading supplier of innovative, feature-rich CDMA wireless devices and accessories for customers worldwide. Kyocera Wireless maintains an operating belief in the genius of simplicity and strives to make the wireless experience as simple and intuitive as humanly possible. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kyocera International Inc., which acquired QUALCOMM Incorporated's CDMA consumer wireless phone business in February 2000. Based in San Diego, the company is ISO-14001 and ISO-9001 certified and has won city, state and federal awards for its environmentally friendly manufacturing and recycling practices.

About International Road Dynamics
IRD is a highway traffic management technology company specializing in supplying products and systems to the global Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) industry. IRD is a North American company based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan with sales and service offices throughout the United States and overseas. Private corporations, transportation agencies and highway authorities around the world use IRD's products and advanced systems to manage and protect their highway infrastructures and mobile assets.