Ireland Degges
Blackberry has received a seven-year indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity award to build and maintain an emergency notification platform for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Along with partner organizations American Systems and 4 Points Technology, Blackberry will provide its AtHoc software and related services to support the DHS’ new Super Enterprise for Personnel Emergency Notification System, the company announced from Washington, D.C. on Wednesday.
John Chen, executive chairman and CEO of Blackberry, said the organization is “honored to expand” its contributions to the U.S. government by delivering AtHoc to the DHS. He noted that Blackberry’s relationship with the federal government has been established for nearly three decades.
“This new award is a testament to the faith that they have in BlackBerry and our innovative technologies, and the DHS can be confident that BlackBerry will meet and exceed their needs,” Chen said.
AtHoc, an interoperable critical event management system, is already in use by more than 75 percent of U.S. government personnel for crisis communications and incident response. The DHS will employ the system as a department-wide communication and visibility PENS technology that will reach all its staff and contractors. AtHoc’s capabilities will enable enterprise-wide functionality while also allowing the system to be tailored to the needs of specific DHS organizations.
The award of this contract is just one element of the DHS’ ambitious modernization journey. For an in-depth look into the ways DHS is evolving to take on the challenges of the modern homeland security landscape, the Potomac Officers Club will host its 2023 Homeland Security Summit on Nov. 15. At the event, top DHS officials will join industry experts to consider the department’s most pressing challenges and priorities. Click here to learn more, and click here to register to attend the event.
