Accurate Location from Smartphone Callers

Huntsville, Alabama, January 17, 2017 – Hexagon Safety & Infrastructure and RapidSOS have partnered to provide public safety agencies that use Hexagon’s Intergraph® Computer-Aided Dispatch (I/CAD) with accurate location and additional data from the RapidSOS NG911 Clearinghouse. Through this partnership, Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) working with Hexagon will be able to harness data from the RapidSOS Clearinghouse — including accurate handset location from all smartphone location sensors.

Millions of smartphones and other connected devices transmit precise device-based hybrid location and additional data to the RapidSOS Clearinghouse when a 9-1-1 call or other request for emergency is made. Through the RapidSOS integration, I/CAD users will be able to query the RapidSOS Clearinghouse when a wireless call is received to retrieve supplementary location and additional data through NG9-1-1 delivery mechanisms. For the first time, PSAPs are able to fully leverage the capabilities of modern smartphones to aid in emergency response, without a need for the caller to use an app. The partnership will benefit U.S. agencies initially with plans to expand internationally later in the year.

“Obtaining accurate location from smartphone calls is critical for PSAPs and first responders,” said Steven Marz, vice president of product management, Hexagon Safety & Infrastructure. “Through our partnership with RapidSOS, we can provide our computer-aided dispatch customers with a much-needed new capability that will improve the speed and accuracy of emergency response.”

"We are thrilled to partner with Hexagon Safety & Infrastructure,” said Michael Martin, CEO of RapidSOS. “This partnership will transform how 9-1-1 call takers respond to mobile callers, resulting in dramatically improved emergency outcomes for millions of emergencies nationwide, and ultimately globally.”

A global leader in public safety and security, Hexagon Safety & Infrastructure helps protect 1 in 12 people worldwide. Hexagon’s public safety and security solutions improve the quality, accuracy and availability of critical information, increasing performance and productivity, while reducing the total cost of ownership for mission-critical IT investments.