Fuente : Siemens
http://www.siemens.es

Siemens to join the eCall Initiative for more safety on Europe's roads

/noticias.info/ Munich, Jun 14, 2005
Siemens Communications has signed an agreement to join the eCall Initiative (Emergency Call). The Initiative is an EU-wide organization of representatives from industry and politics which champions the introduction of a European emergency call system (eCall) on our roads. Its aspiration is that by the year 2009 every vehicle in Europe should be fitted with an on-board emergency call system that sends an emergency signal either automatically or manually to the ambulance, police and fire services in the event of an accident. Siemens will contribute its expertise with respect to mobile radio systems and radio modules.

"Through its many years of experience in developing GSM/GPRS and Edge radio modules specifically for the automobile industry, Siemens can make a substantial contribution to ensuring the success of the initiative and improving security on the streets ", said Jose Costa e Silva, head of the Wireless Modules division at Siemens Communications.

The emergency call system (eCall) of the future will be triggered either manually by the occupants of the vehicle or automatically by the activation of sensors in the vehicle itself. Immediately after sending the alarm, the built-in system sets up a direct voice connection to the emergency call center responsible and sends important data about the accident, such as its precise location. "The on-board GSM-based emergency call system can shorten the time it takes the emergency services to be deployed", maintains Costa e Silva.

The standards and specifications for the eCall system should be defined by the end of 2005. Field tests will follow in 2006, and from 2009 all new vehicles will be equipped with the eCall technology. The uniform European emergency call (E-112) should then come into operation with added location data. The eCall protagonists do however point out that the system can only function if the emergency services of the member states set up their emergency call centers in such a way that they can also process the eCall minimum set of data from 2007 at the latest. This means they all need to pull together.

The founders of the eCall Consortium are the EU Commission along with the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) and ERTICO, a public/private partnership for the introduction of intelligent transport systems and services in Europe. The cooperation agreement signed by Siemens and 29 other stakeholders coordinates the development and installation of eCall, and also quality standards, deadlines and financing. The paper also aims to improve cooperation between auto manufacturers, telecommunications companies, the EU, and the individual member states as well as with other involved parties such as the insurance sector, and to ensure that the new technology will indeed be working in all EU member states by 2009.


The Siemens Communications Operating Group is one of the leading providers in the global telecommunication industry. Siemens is the only company in the sector to offer its customers a complete portfolio from terminals for consumers to complex network infrastructures for companies and operators together with the associated services. Siemens Communications is the world leader in innovation in the fields of convergent technologies and products and services for mobile, fixed and corporate networks. The largest Operating Group in Siemens AG, it maintains a presence in more than 160 countries; its approximately 60,000 employees achieved total sales revenue in fiscal 2004 (September 30) of around EUR 18 bn.

Further information about Siemens Communications at http://www.siemens.de/communications
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