Rail Safety Inspections the Focus of Feds

A new program to deploy federal railroad inspectors to safety hot spots will begin early this year.
The program, part of the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) National Rail Safety Action Plan, will use accident data to identify rail safety problems for specific railroads and states.
Federal inspectors will focus their efforts where safety issues are more likely to arise so they can be corrected before a serious train accident occurs, said Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta.
Over the coming months, the DOT will also deploy two new track inspection vehicles, tripling the number of miles of track inspected each year. It will also propose a new federal rule to address common human errors that lead to train accidents, such as improperly lined switches, and undertake research into train operator fatigue, near misses and the strength of hazardous materials tank cars.
The safety plan can be found at www.dot.gov/affairs/frasafetyplan012506.htm

Sexual Assault at San Jose VTA Rail Station Caught on Video

(CBS 5) SAN JOSE San Jose police hope security video will help them track down a group of men who sexually assaulted a woman at a Valley Transportation Authority light rail station late Friday night. A woman reported what authorities described as an incident of “touching without permission” by six men on the Virginia Street platform. The woman said the men then boarded the train. There is no security camera on the platform, which sits in the middle of Highway 85, but there are cameras on most of the trains.VTA agents believe a group of men who sexually assaulted a woman passenger were caught on video. A Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department spokesman says a security camera onboard a light rail train car captured images of men who may be the suspects. (more)

Integrian Acquires Innovonics

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – January 10, 2006. Integrian, Inc., a leading developer of mobile digital video solutions announced that it has acquired all issued shares of Australian technology company Innovonics Ltd.
With offices in Melbourne and London, Innovonics’ specialty is design, development, manufacture, project management and installation of transportation surveillance systems. The company offers a broad customer base, having delivered over 1000 transit and fleet computer systems over the past 3 years to transit authorities and corporations around the world.
Integrian develops and manufactures mobile digital video solutions for the public safety and transportation markets. The company’s product lines are DigitalPatroller® for police cars and other public safety vehicles, and TransitCam™ surveillance and information solutions for bus and rail systems. Together, the two product groups represent a total solution in mobile digital video technology.
“Integrian and Innovonics have a shared vision for the future of this market,” said Pete Durand, Integrian’s CEO. “Innovonics has done a tremendous job creating presence in the European market, particularly with their rail products. Integrian’s transit surveillance solution leads the industry with technology grounded in the company’s history of advanced surveillance engineering. The fit between our combined capabilities and current market demand is extraordinary, and we are tremendously optimistic about our future. There is no question that we are in exactly the right place at the right time.” (more)

(BW) Digital Recorders, Inc. CEO Excited about Google's New Online Tool to Plot Efficient Public Transportation Routes

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 4, 2006--Digital Recorders, Inc. (DRI) (Nasdaq:TBUS), a technology leader in transit, transportation, law enforcement, and security digital communications systems, announced today that the recent deployment of Google Inc.'s (Nasdaq:GOOG) Google Transit Trip Planner, which is being beta tested with the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet), is a significant, positive step in improving public transit passenger services.


"We believe the Google Transit Trip Planner is a step in the right direction for the public transportation industry. Google, Inc. certainly should be commended for this bold step. We also commend TriMet for taking part in the beta test of this new online tool," David L. Turney, the Company's Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President, said. (more)

Verint Closes Acquisition of MultiVision's Networked Video Security Business; Expands Verint's Presence in Growing Asia Pacific Region

MELVILLE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 9, 2006--Verint Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: VRNT), a leading provider of analytic software-based solutions for communications interception, networked video security and business intelligence, today announced that it has completed the acquisition of the networked video security business of MultiVision Intelligent Surveillance Limited (SGX: MVIS.SI) for approximately $51.2 million in cash, subject to certain post-closing adjustments.
Based in Hong-Kong with multiple offices throughout China, MultiVision's networked video security business provides Verint with local product development, customer support and solutions that are focused on the requirements of the Asia Pacific region. The acquisition will enable Verint to further address the demand for actionable intelligence solutions in the growing Asia Pacific region.
MultiVision's proven networked video security solutions and broad range of customers enhances Verint's global position across a number of important markets, including transportation, government and banking. MultiVision's customers in these markets include the City of Beijing, Hong Kong's Chep Lap Kok International Airport, the Ministry of Railways of the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong Mass Transit Rail and the Hunan Postal Savings Bank. MultiVision also provides Verint with a presence in the growing Asia Pacific gaming market. (more)

France Copies UK on Video Security

PARIS, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- The French parliament Thursday followed Britain's example and authorized a huge increase in video security surveillance.
The National Assembly approved a measure urged by Interior Minister Nicholas Sarkozy to dramatically boost video security surveillance throughout the country of 60 million people.
Sarkozy and French security chiefs were impressed by the rapid speed with which the British security services solved the case of who was responsible for the four suicide bombings in the London mass transit system on July 7 that killed 52 people and wounded more than 700. Surveillance cameras at London's King's Cross station played a central role in identifying the perpetrators.
There are more than 3 million video surveillance cameras already operating in Britain and less than 50,000 in France. The new law will open the way for a massive increase in video surveillance and the installation of video cameras in public places including airports, railway and bus stations, mosques, churches and synagogues. The legislation also increases the severity of already tough punishments for convicted terrorists and their supporters on the statute books.

XM Announces Advance Vehicle Services

XM Satellite Radio, the nation's leading satellite radio company, will unveil the XM Advanced Services vehicle, a concept car featuring in-car video, voice command, weather alerts, parking space locator, and other exciting new innovations next week at the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). (more)