SAN MATEO, Calif., March 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Sonim Technologies teamed with the Village of Schaumburg (Schaumburg, Ill.) and equipped Schaumburg's Police, Fire, and Public Works personnel with Sonim's XP7 ultra-rugged smartphones and accessories to test the performance of commercial broadband technology in real-world, mission critical, first responder environments.

The XP7 Android smartphones operating on a commercial LTE network are purpose built for Push-to-Talk (PTT) communication, and were equipped with Enterprise Secure Chat (ESChat) PTT application from SLA Corporation. The ESChat application provides secure and encrypted one-to-one private PTT calls, ad hoc one-to-many PTT calls, as well as Group Calls over the commercial LTE network, and mimics many of the core communication functions of the P25 narrowband LMR radio network. The ESChat deployment also included P25 to Cellular radio interoperability, providing participants the ability to communicate seamlessly via PTT across carrier and LMR networks.

During the pilot, the Schaumburg Police, Fire, and Public Works personnel tested the performance of the ultra-rugged smartphones, carrying solutions, audio accessories, and PTT service in real-world outdoor and indoor environments. The trial participants were particularly impressed with the visibility of the display in bright sunlight, operation of the touch screen and PTT functions, loud audio from the speakers, long battery life, and cellular to P25 radio interoperability.

"Admittedly we were skeptical at first that Sonim smartphones would be able to meet the demanding Group Communication requirements of our Police, Fire, and Public Works personnel," said Peter Schaak, Director of Information Technology for the Village of Schaumburg. "However, the pilot proved to us that purpose built broadband smartphones with PTT can very cost effectively augment high priced radios in the mission critical communication ecosystem."

"We were pleased to demonstrate the value of Sonim technology and to provide a glimpse into the future of integrated mission critical communications along with our partner ESChat," said Dr. Aroon Tungare, Vice President of Portfolio Strategy and Product Management for Sonim Technologies. "Sonim smartphones also come equipped with Band Class 14 radios, providing the added flexibility to move seamlessly between commercial LTE networks and FirstNet's emerging public safety broadband network thereby future proofing our customers' investments."

ABOUT SONIM TECHNOLOGIES:
Sonim Technologies (http://www.sonimtech.com) is the provider of mission-critical solutions designed specifically for workers in extreme, hazardous and isolated environments. The Sonim solution includes ultra-rugged mobile phones, business-process applications and a suite of industrial-grade accessories, collectively designed to increase worker productivity, accountability and safety on the job site. Sonim's industry-leading, 3-year comprehensive warranty has redefined customer expectations of rugged technology. The company is headquartered in San Mateo, Calif., and offers its products with mobile operators around the world.

ABOUT SLA CORPORATION:
ESChat (http://www.eschat.com) by SLA is the leading provider of carrier independent Secure Push to Talk (PTT) over LTE communications. ESChat includes AES-256 encrypted PTT voice and multimedia (text and image) messaging. ESChat also provides live and historical (bread crumb) tracking and mapping. Currently used by the U.S. Military as well as Federal, State and Local law enforcement, ESChat is able to operate over FirstNet Band 14 LTE spectrum, commercial carriers and WiFi. ESChat supports interoperability with all LMR radio networks, including P25 via the native Inter Sub System Interface (ISSI) protocol.

ABOUT VILLAGE OF SCHAUMBURG:
The Village of Schaumburg is a community located in the northwest suburban area of Chicago, Illinois.  Schaumburg has a population of approximately 75,000 residents, and comprises an area of 19 square miles.  Located 30 miles northwest of Chicago, Schaumburg is a thriving commercial and employment center.  The Village employs over 600 employees spread across 15 facilities.

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SOURCE Sonim Technologies