Report Finds First-Responder Communications to Reach $4.4B by 2011 (1/10)
State and local governments must address both the technology and organizational issues that prohibit interoperability among public-safety communications systems, according to a new report by market analyst firm Datamonitor. According to the report, "Government Technology - Fostering Interoperability in Public Safety Communications," spending by U.S. state and local governments on communications technology for first responders will increase from $3.2 billion in 2006 to $4.4 billion by 2011 as public-safety agencies look for ways to collaborate and share information during critical situations. "Public-safety agencies tell Datamonitor that a lack of funding is their No. 1 obstacle to improving interoperability," said Kate McCurdy, Datamonitor government technology analyst. "But we cannot overlook the fact that collaboration and collective decision-making is difficult in an environment where individual agencies or jurisdictions typically purchase equipment independently. Add to this the fact that agencies receive few directives on which technologies will help them enhance interoperability and you have a situation where state and local governments recognize the need to improve interoperability but lack the means to do so."
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