Data cards provided by Option make debut at Brussels 20 KM
LEUVEN, Belgium – May 24, 2007 – Option (Euronext: OPTI; OTC: OPNVY), the wireless technology company, today announced that the Belgian Red Cross in Brussels will adopt Option wireless data cards to provide secure and real-time communication between first aid posts at major public events and the Red Cross headquarters in Brussels. This new system will be deployed for the first time at the Brussels 20km Run on May 27 to allow the Red Cross crisis coordination centre to monitor events at first aid posts throughout the Belgian capital as they occur. The technique will also be used at the Belgian soccer cup final between FC Bruges and Standard Liege and future large-scale pop concerts at the King Baudouin Stadium.
Accurate, fast & reliable emergency information
Accurate information and fast communication are vital in any public safety situation. Communication between Red Cross first aid posts, its coordination centre and hospitals used to be via two-way radios. However, the severe interference and even breakdown regularly experienced in dense city environments often delayed the availability of precise casualty numbers and situation reports. Thanks to several laptop computers fitted with Option GlobeTrotterTM 3G EDGE wireless broadband data cards, emergency workers at first aid posts will be able to easily collect and transmit casualty identification data. Computers will send up-to-date information and statistics at regular intervals via ftp. This data is then collated and processed at the Red Cross HQ where emergency coordinators will evaluate casualty numbers and initiate evacuation procedures for emergency cases.
Sunday 27 May debut at the Brussels 20 km Run
The urgent need for precise information is clearly illustrated by last year’s remarkable experience at the Brussels 20km Run where the 11 Red Cross first aid posts along the 20km route through the European capital provided medical assistance to a new patient every 37 seconds for five hours. With such a high rate of first aid interventions, effective communication and coordination are critical to the overall safety of an event that attracts 25,000 runners.
Belgian Red Cross in Brussels first aid emergency coordinator Raphaël Schmidt commented: “Last year, our emergency workers had to work in improvised conditions where modern telecommunications technology was not always available. Thanks to Option’s wireless broadband data cards, this now belongs to the past. The Red Cross will be able to further improve the speed and quality of medical assistance wherever it is needed.”Red Cross first aides will publish a review of their experiences with Option wireless technology during the Brussels 20 km run in next month’s Red Cross magazine.
About Option
Option, the wireless technology company, is a leading innovator in the design, development and manufacture of 3G WCDMA (HSPA and UMTS), EDGE, GPRS, GSM and WLAN technology products for wireless connectivity solutions. Option has built up an enviable reputation for creating exciting products that enhance the performance and functionality of wireless communications. Option’s headquarters are in Leuven, Belgium. The company has Research & Development in Leuven, a Software and Applications development centre in Adelsried (Germany), a Wireless Router development centre in Stockholm (Sweden), an ISO 9002 production engineering and logistics facility in Cork, Ireland. Option also has sales & support operations in the US, Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan. For more information please visit www.option.com
For more information please contact
Jan Poté, Marketing & Communications Manager
Tel +32 (0)16 317 411, E-mail: j.pote@option.com