When U.S. soldiers wanted a way to handle heavy machine guns and ammunition alone in the heat of battle, they found inspiration in the mini-gun backpacks of the 1987 film “Predator” and built do-it-yourself ammo carriers. Their battlefield invention has since undergone official Army development and testing among several units deployed in Afghanistan.
Source: www.msnbc.msn.com
HPI Fleet & Mobility, Europe’s leading independent fleet manager, has one primary objective: bringing people from one place to another in the simplest, most convenient ways possible. In its ongoing effort to blaze new trails in this field, the company is using this year’s European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) to look for innovative ideas for seamless, sustainable mobility concepts that incorporate new technologies.
Oberpfaffenhofen, 15 May 2012: Whether it’s with privately owned or hired cars; public services such as buses, trains, and planes; bicycles or our own two feet – we use myriad means of transportation every day to get where we need to go. Finding the best combination of these options can, however, still be a complicated affair. Considerations of sustainability and the increasing amount of traffic in inner cities are also leading to the need for new mobility concepts. For these reasons, HPI Fleet & Mobility is offering a prize in the area of seamless and sustainable mobility in its search for innovative solutions that use satellite navigation to simplify and improve personal mobility.
“We want to provide our customers with door-to-door mobility that’s both sustainable and fun,” says Steffen Giebler, CEO of HPI Fleet & Mobility GmbH. “With modern smartphones and other mobile, navigation-ready communication devices offering so much potential for the future of mobile management, the ESNC is a fantastic opportunity for us to seek out ideas for innovative applications.”
Ideas for door-to-door navigation applications that integrate different means of transport, service concepts for optimised travel planning, and other sustainable mobility concepts will all have the chance to catch HPI’s eye. Submissions will be evaluated with a particular focus on sustainability and market potential. In addition to a EUR 10,000 cash prize, HPI Fleet & Mobility will provide proactive support designed to help the winner to implement and commercialise their idea.
Ideas can be entered for the Seamless and Sustainable Mobility Prize at www.galileo-masters.eu until 30 June.
About HPI Fleet & Mobility
HPI Fleet is Europe’s leading independent fleet management company. In 16 countries, it offers a unique service portfolio that covers the entire value chain, from vehicle procurement to remarketing. Along the way, it manages all fleet-related activities for its clients and processes their financial transactions. As a result, they benefit from single consolidated reports and invoices that meet their accounting standards.
HPI Fleet’s business strategy is driven by its aim to convert modern fleet management into a holistic mobility management approach. It is centred around the individual’s need for seamless and sustainable mobility. For more information, please visit: www.hpifleet.com
About the European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC)
The ESNC is an international ideas competition that recognises the best ideas in the field of satellite navigation every year. From companies and research institutes to students and other independent individuals, anyone is free to enter. The only thing that matters is your idea! You will be able to submit your innovations at www.galileo-masters.eu from 1 April to 30 June.
The ESNC was inaugurated in three regions in 2004 under the patronage of the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs. Since then, the competition has transformed into a network that embodies innovation and expertise. The new partner regions in this year’s competition are Austria, Bulgaria, Finland, Ireland, Poland, and Portugal, bringing the total to more than 20 regions now competing for the distinction of having produced the overall winner – the Galileo Master. For more information, please visit www.galileo-masters.eu.
Globecomm Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: GCOM), a leading global provider of communications solutions and service, announced today that as a Cisco Service Provider Video Technology Partner, it has been selected to deliver an enhanced communications distribution infrastructure for the Navy’s newest nuclear supercarrier, Gerald R. Ford (CVN78). The contract, valued at $3.5 million, represents a significant technological upgrade to the Navy’s existing analog system for video acquisition and onboard content delivery.
As a turnkey solutions provider / systems integration (SI) subcontractor to Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding operation, the Globecomm/Cisco team has employed best-in-class solutions from Cisco’s digital media suite. The design consists of a multi-functional, satellite-based entertainment system for a ship under construction—the first of the new Ford-class supercarrier. The new enhanced SITE TV—the first IP video system for the U.S. Navy fleet—will provide tremendous cost savings, along with enhanced quality, scalability, and flexibility to add new capabilities and services in the future. Globecomm and Cisco will document the architecture for publication to potential customers illustrating the enticing business case of enhanced services and the potential for OPEX reductions.
A 10G Cisco backbone will support the system as well as the ship’s video surveillance capabilities, providing sailors with access to live streaming media options, multimedia programming access while at sea, as well as pier-side cable services. It will also provide an interface to the ship’s onboard video production studio where live or pre-recorded broadcasts can be accessed and viewed. Other capabilities include video on demand (VoD), digital signage and collaborative access via Cisco’s Show and Share webcasting and video sharing application.
Keith Hall, President and Chief Operating Officer of Globecomm Systems, said: “Highly individualized system design and a proactive approach to future-proof infrastructures are at the heart of Globecomm’s expertise in the design, implementation and integration of content delivery systems and mobile technologies. Globecomm’s designation as an Authorized Service Provider Video Partner required extensive training and program prerequisites to sell, deploy and support Cisco’s solutions. As a Cisco silver partner, we believe that Cisco’s advanced digital media capabilities provide the highest quality solution for this important installation and we will continue to identify opportunities to implement innovative solutions for projects with similar requirements to SITE TV.”
Bart Spriester, Director of IP Video Systems, Cisco Service Provider Video Technology Group, said: “This SITE TV project represents a first of its kind video entertainment system that can impact tens of thousands of sailors and officers across the Navy fleet. As one of the most complex deployments of the Cisco Digital Media System, it is truly a new application of existing technologies, encompassing Cisco CAST and Show-and-Share applications, along with Cisco encoding technology.”
