Finnish Smartphone Producer Bittium presented Bittium Tough Mobile smartphone and innovative Bittium Tough Mobile HybridX solution
Finnish smartphone producer Bittium (based in Oulu) presented Bittium Tough Mobile, secure LTE smartphone, and innovative Bittium Tough Mobile HybridX extension at the British APCO exhibition for authorities in Coventry, United Kingdom, on March 20 – 21. The new Bittium Tough Mobile HybridX extension gives Bittium Tough Mobile a new user interface and functionalities that are very useful in demanding Public Safety use. In addition, Bittium showcased Bittium SafeMove Analytics, which is a monitoring and reporting tool for collecting information on the performance of devices used on the field and thus enhance the efficiency of the authorities.
Bittium Tough Mobile HybridX extension combines the secure Bittium Tough Mobile smartphone with a functional HybridX accessory. The HybridX accessory is integrated to the Bittium Tough Mobile and is connected to a PMR (Private Mobile Radio) device, such as TETRA or P25. Examples of the benefits of this extension are:
- Bittium Tough Mobile smartphone and a PMR device can be operated from the same device;
- LTE and PMR users can communicate over both networks;
- Very easy and efficient use of the extension with the help of an emergency button, a PTT button (Push-To-Talk), a PTV button (Push-To-Video), and a powerful external speaker;
- Using Bittium Tough Mobile HybridX extension also as a body-camera with the help of Bittium Tough Mobile Smart Holder and a 170 degree wide angle lens. With the Smart Holder users can for example provide real-time situational awareness over the LTE network to the situation room of the authorities. The Smart Holder also enables charging the phone during its use.
Bittium Tough Mobile HybridX extension reduces the amount of equipment needed by authorities, by replacing a separate RSM device and body worn camera. Communication over the different networks is made easier, and now it is possible without separate network gateway solution. The users benefit from LTE networks high-speed data transfer and use of Android-based multimedia applications. Thus, the tactical extension eases the transition of police forces, fire and rescue services from the voice and messaging solutions used in the TETRA or P25 networks to solutions using LTE network.
Product and solutions exhibited at the event:
- Bittium Tough Mobile™ is a secure and strong Android-based LTE smartphone combining the latest information security and commercial device technologies. Bittium Tough Mobile incorporates a hardware-based security platform, which enables strong device security as well as deep integration of both customers' own and third party software security solutions. Bittium Tough Mobile and related Bittium Secure Suite™ back-end system is the first smartphone based solution in the world to have receive official Confidential level encryption product classification.
- Bittium Tough Mobile HybridX™ extension is a solution meant for authority use, where Bittium Tough Mobile smartphone is coupled with a functional accessory that is integrated to a PMR device (TETRA/P25). The solution also includes a holder with a wide angle lens, which enables authorities to share real-time situational awareness over the LTE network. Bittium Tough Mobile HybridX extension can be used to operate both the Bittium Tough Mobile smartphone and PMR device, and communicate with both LTE and PMR network users.
- Bittium SafeMove® Analytics is an advanced monitoring and reporting module that helps authorities to monitor network connectivity and performance to improve productivity and user experience. The Analytics tool continuously gathers connectivity data such as connectivity status, speed, throughput and bytes transferred, network type and Wi-Fi network information. In addition, the new security features of the software can immediately report possible security deviations in the mobile devices used by employees. This makes it possible to react to cyber threats without delays, e.g. by blocking the device which reported the deviation from the corporate network during the investigation.