Check out Security Review’s Critical Communications World 2024 Special Edition, here: https://securityreviewmag.com/mayjune2024

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“With Agnet Turnaround, we’re proposing a new way for airports to think about and manage their operations with a truly ground-breaking solution,” said Selim Bouri, Airbus Vice President for Public Safety and Security in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. “Agnet Turnaround is introduced with an unequivocal promise – to empower and enhance airport operations. Airbus looks ahead to the future with great anticipation with quick and efficient practices, reduced response times, and tremendous overall throughput all assured for airports globally – without sacrificing safety, security, or environmental responsibility.”

Designed to meet the unique demands of airport operations and accommodate vast requirements, Agnet Turnaround brings a sophisticated blend of real-time monitoring and smart communication technologies to the forefront. The solution enables airports and public safety agencies to seamlessly coordinate and manage collective ground operations, ensuring smoother transitions with streamlined processes.
With Agnet Turnaround, airports can look forward to more punctual operations, minimising delays in environments typically busy 24 hours a day, seven days a week. By improving the efficiency of operations, the solution also supports airports in their efforts to reduce their environmental footprint, aligning with global sustainability goals. Additionally, it enhances air traffic management, allowing for increased capacity without compromising safety standards.

“This solution has been introduced to empower airports with unprecedented operational capabilities – and what sets Agnet Turnaround apart are its advanced communication features,” revealed Bouri. “Direct communication tools such as smart groups and instant connectivity are utilized to accelerate key decision-making processes involving personnel and departments, while enhanced planning and control protocols are availed with live monitoring a fundamental component behind world-class predictive processes.”

The benefits of implementing Agnet Turnaround are many with automation another outstanding feature. Automatic alerts, group creation, task assignment, and workflow statuses are all prerequisites for streamlined operations and minimized instances of human error. Airports can also use Agnet Turnaround to instantly connect with key personnel, bypassing lengthy search processes and saving valuable time. Live tracking of operations enables airports to respond swiftly and plan more effectively, improving overall operational foresight. With global access and no distance limitations, managing outstation operations also promises to become simpler and more efficient immediately following solution integration.

Moreover, the solution’s real-time insights facilitate quick interventions – significantly reducing labour costs and preventing overtime expenditures. Automated reporting and improved transparency also stand to drive better collaboration with airline partners and a reduced workload on airport teams, allowing them to focus more on critical tasks rather than routine processes.

Tell us about your participation at CCW 2024. Which products and solutions will you be showcasing at the event?
CCW has always been a key event for us, and this year being in Dubai/UAE where we have a solid and historical presence is another key element, making it natural for us to ensure an important participation not only directly as Airbus but also in cooperation with the host operator Nedaa, with whom we have been working for more than 20 years.

We are very proud to support the event and share our latest solutions and experience with the International CCW community, through our booth (please visit our stand A10) which will encompass 10 live demonstrations and stands, but also via our community of speakers during the event, either Airbus experts (a dozen of speakers addressing elements such AI, future technologies and usability, new innovative services for on-the-ground aircraft operations 5G NTN or new applications and IOT but also with many of our customers and partners presenting their own usage and experience of Airbus solutions (here also thru more than 10 sessions and presentations).

In our booth we will be showcasing our new generation of hybrid solutions, covering the full ecosystem from professional services, new usage and integration of our award-winning Agnet MCX solution, new generation of TETRA solutions and some innovative new modules such as Agnet Turnaround for aircraft on-the-ground operations optimization and secure satellite connectivity Agnet over Satcom. So, there are a lot of exciting events, presentations and news, and more than anything looking forward to meeting our customers from around the world, you will be visiting a great city that is (thanks to the host operator Nedaa) fully covered by an Airbus Critical communication network.

What are your expectations from the event this year?
First of all, meeting Critical communication operators from all around the world to share their latest experiences and stories, is absolutely invaluable! Events like CCW offer a refreshing contrast by providing opportunities to witness real, live demos and engage in meaningful conversations with customers, including our VARs from around the globe. These interactions allow for deeper insights into the challenges they face and the solutions that have proven successful in the realm of large-scale projects. Such exchanges offer a strategic advantage, enabling informed decision-making without the risk of investing blindly.

Second, to interact with the global ecosystem and engage with all the players, exchange around innovation and prepare together for the future. We may be many different companies, but we all serve the same purpose at the end of the day: secure critical operations, save lives and protect industries and businesses. Such an event is very unique on the fact that it is not about competing but about building all together for the future of Critical communications.

And last but not the least is to build and nurture our connections. The annual CCW offers a perfect opportunity for fostering these meaningful connections. With the event spanning three days, there’s plenty of time to absorb insightful presentations, participate in focused forums, and network within the expansive expo area. As CCW 2024 draws near, I extend a warm invitation to all industry stakeholders to join us in Dubai for an unforgettable experience. Let’s come together, share our stories, exchange ideas, and shape the future of critical communications.

What will be your theme of participation at CCW 2024?
Our industry, driven primarily by public safety and business-critical usages, is very specific on the fact that technology is only one aspect of the equation, while the key part may reside in the usage scheme and applications around the technology itself. I believe this year the focus will be back to the basics: it is not about the network but about how it will be used to support the bigger picture, and I foresee a more pragmatic approach toward the implementation, with a stronger approach of hybrid evolution. So, I would say Hybrid Connectivity and New Applications would be the theme for this year.

How have your regional strategies changed in recent months?
Our regional strategy continues to be focused on supporting our customers and end users and making sure our solutions evolve to adapt to their needs in terms of usage, tactical operations or business imperatives, including digitalisation or operations or global sustainability. It is our duties to make sure we provide the most innovative solutions while maintaining and evolving their existing networks, to allow a smooth evolution with zero disturbance to their daily operations. We are extremely proud to provide our networks to a large part of the region, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which are regularly ranked as the safest cities in the world. The whole regional team take a deep pride in being part of such a success.

Do you plan to run online engagements such as webinars and offline engagements such as tech talks, demos, keynotes, and so on, alongside CCW 2024?
Absolutely, we will participate directly in no less than 12 keynotes, presentations and panels, some of them together with our customers. This in addition to 10 other sessions presented by our customers from around the world. We will have at our booth 10 live demonstrations and will run in parallel dedicated sessions with some partners.

We will also provide some co-hosted sessions with the host operator Nedaa, which has been using our solutions for some key events lately such as Cop28 or Dubai Expo. We are also happy to host in our Dubai Office the upcoming GCF & TCCA Mission Critical Services Certification Workshop, a key event for the future of MCX. So, as you can see a very busy week to come, and looking forward to it

Designed to upkeep national safety and security, it has the resilience to resist cyber-attacks and data breaches while continuing to operate seamlessly. Sharing data such as voice, live video and location-based services that can be accessed at any time has helped the situational awareness of safety forces to help prevent accidents.

Throughout the proceedings, Dubai Police is one government entity that has incorporated Agnet while using the private LTE network provided by Professional Communication Corporation – Nedaa. From providing next-generation protection and supporting secure live streaming to enhancing situational awareness and enabling greater responsiveness, the outcomes have been integral to operational continuity.

“In today’s rapidly evolving digital transformation era, companies and industries alike require impactful innovations that harness technological capabilities to redefine safety and security practices and elevate operational capabilities to newfound heights. Yet beforehand, industry experts and leaders must become acquainted with the newest generations of specialised products that meet such criteria. This is why Intersec holds such influential gravitas across the region and around the world, and this is why Airbus is thrilled to be participating and demonstrating the value our exhibiting solutions can deliver amidst challenging, highly pressurized operating environments,” explained Selim Bouri, Vice-president for Airbus Secure Land Communications in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

“From security forces to emergency personnel, crisis response experts to public sector professionals, we are enthused at the prospect of once again engaging with representatives from different verticals, better understanding their specific requirements, and highlighting both the practicality and sustainability that accompanies our safety and security products,” added Bouri.

Airbus will showcase several innovations from its exclusive stand at Intersec 2023, to be located within the Nedaa pavilion. Among them is the Tactilon Agnet collaboration platform, designed to ensure mission-critical personnel carries out their duties in a smarter and safer manner. Using IoT-driven wearable sensors compatible with Android and regular iOS smartphones and radios, Tactilon Agnet enables enhanced communication and collaboration through instant and secure end-to-end information sharing, providing real-time data and actionable insights to bolster productivity and potentially save lives with support from Artificial Intelligence (AI).

This solution is being showcased alongside innovations including Tactilon Agnet Query and Tactilon Agnet Voice Assistant (AVA), which support public safety specialists in managing essential tasks on-site and convey key information without the need for smartphone interaction. Meanwhile, TACTeam, designed for planning mission-critical operations will be also on display and scheduled for demonstration. The event will take place from the 17^th to the 19^th of January, at Dubai World Trade Center.

Like the previous Hajj seasons, better collaboration among security officials was key to safeguarding the safety and health of tens of thousands of people who performed Hajj this year. Tactilon Agnet allows users to leverage the solutions to talk, exchange multimedia messages, and record and share videos at the touch of a button with other members of their group regardless of whether the different devices used are smartphones or Tetra radios. Furthermore, the platform enables secure and reliable group communication, and one-to-one calls through voice, video as well as picture and text messaging which improves teamwork and collaboration between team members.

Public and security authorities can also benefit from Tactilon Agnet’s Tetra and broadband features such as emergency calls and real-time location tracking. Dispatchers, on the other hand, are equipped to monitor and command Tactilon Agnet and Tetra users through a computer-aided dispatch system integrated into the control room. This ensures higher access to the team and a faster response time during emergencies.

“During unique events such as the Hajj pilgrimage, sturdy and reliable communication among the public authorities assigned to various areas in, and around Mecca is essential. Without such crucial collaboration, it would be difficult for them to safeguard both a large number of visitors, and the historical venue and premises. This year’s Hajj took place amid the still raging pandemic, therefore it was vital more than ever to equip public safety and emergency forces with flexible and reliable solutions for them to share information quickly,” explained Selim Bouri, Vice-President and Head of Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific for Secure Land Communications at Airbus.

“Airbus technology helps guarantee the security and resilience needed for the teams to carry out their mission when, and where they are needed the most. We are proud to once again participate in safeguarding such a holy event,” Bouri added.