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re. re in r toing kef at the tuery does it to le f after t. 'es~data O~l~- hat abase. ~ that an moves Blue ~epart- tBlue ;ota) :ter is in imple- , one first do ag ~ghout beta her the how orks e* ~t- s out er really know how effective ii will be. That is where beta sites come into play." Currently there are six states that are doing beta testing on Pc~cketBlue. St. Paul, Minnesota, has tested and purchased the product, while Ohio, New Jersey; South Pasadena; Califor- nia; Florida and Maryland are all doing beta testing prior to their poten- tial purchase. Aether adds that there is an aggressive schedule in place for future beta sites. "The PocketBlue handhelds have proven to be a valuable addition to our PacketCluster system. We now have th ability to access information in areas where a full laptop was not fea- sible in the past," said Sheriff George Knupp Jr. of the Lake County (Flori- da) Sheriff's Office. "The PocketBlue system does just what we need -- it puts the information in the hand (or pocket) of officers in bike, undercov- er, mounted, investigative and marine units. Unlike PCs, laptops and radios, the handhelds drop into the officer's pocket or under the seat for quick and inconspicuous access to critical infor- mation, which is particularly useful when an officer is undercover." PocketBlue has the same functionality as the wireless laptop in the vehicle, but is mobile. Aether is aggressively working to accommodate as many agencies as it can. Since it is still a fairy new prod- uct, Aether is visiting each state indi- vidually to make sure the data is com- Write in 137 on Reader Service Card ing to the handhelds properly and securely. Layman says, "Our goal for the end of the year is to have all the big states covered." If an agency who is not at the top of the list approaches Aether with an interest to go with PocketBlue, a decision will need to be made. "In that situation, we maY reprioritize and move that state up in the list," Layman notes. "It is a business exercise as well as a technical one." As of mid-June, PocketBlue is gen- erally available in a number of states, providin~ officers on foot, bike, mounted patrol, marine or other spe- cial details with the ability to query NCIC, NLETS and DMV databases, plus communicate with secure mes- saging to other officers. [3 For more inform, ation on this company, fill in the Reader Semice Card with the corresponding number. COMPANY Aether Systems Mobile Government Div. 251 July 2001 · Law Enforcement Technology 1, Illll