PRESS RELEASE
Telecom Engineering Consultants, Inc. (TEC) Completes Installation of World’s Largest Inmate Video Visitation System in Lee County, Florida
TEC completes Phase III installation of the
VUGate Inmate Video Visitation System,
increasing the total number of visitation stations to 270.
Miami, FL, December 4, 2001 – Telecom Engineering Consultants, Inc. (TEC) announced the completion of the Phase III expansion of the Inmate Video Visitation System for the Lee County Sheriff's Office, in Ft. Meyers, Florida. The expansion is part of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office ongoing efforts to reduce costs and risks by centralizing and automating the inmate visitation process. This expansion project brings the total number of visitor stations to 110 and the total number of inmate stations to 160 making the Lee County system the largest of its kind in the world. The expansion project features the Inmate Video Visitation System developed by VUGate Corporation, the nation’s leading supplier of video visitation technology. The system also incorporates fiber-optic communication technologies supplied by TEC to meet the complex requirements of the Lee County project. TEC’s extensive experience in structured wiring systems and network integration played a significant role in the successful implementation and expansion of Lee County’s Inmate Video Visitation system.
TEC began the installation of Phase I of the video visitation system in late 1999 and completed Phase II less than a year later. Phase II also incorporated connections to the Lee County Public Defender’s Office providing support for remote legal consultation. The system from TEC supports the Lee County Core Jail facility, the Sprung Units, the Stockade and the Downtown Jail representing more than 1700 beds and handling more than 50,000 inmates per year.
TEC is VUGate’s largest Systems Integrator for Video Visitation systems, which feature the use of campus-based video communications coupled with VUGate’s MINXMate Automated Visitation Management software. The system is designed to reduce prisoner and visitor movement through a secure correctional facility and to improve the utilization of correctional officers’ time. The system improves the efficiency of the visitation process, virtually eliminates contraband infiltration, and reduces the risks associated with confrontation or escape. The system can be easily expanded to support links to any industry standard videoconferencing systems, including H.320, H.323 and/or H.324 video protocols, which can be used for additional applications such as Telemedicine, Distance Learning and Video Arraignment.
Lee County Sheriff's Office Jail Administrator, Major Mark Levins noted, “The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is constantly working to improve the safety of officers, inmates and visitors involved the visitation process while managing the operation in the most efficient and cost effective manner. The system installed by Telecom Engineering Consultants has met or exceeded all of our expectations. Telecom has proven to be an invaluable partner in the development, implementation and support of our video visitation system. The installation of Phase I, Phase II and Phase III each provided unique challenges. Telecom works in close concert with our prime contractor, Centex Rooney, and Lee County Sheriff’s Office personnel to deliver and support solutions that meet all of our video communications needs”.
Pat Sellati, Vice President for Telecom Engineering Consultants stated “The VUGate system is well suited for the demands of a video visitation system. VUGate’s SuperHub Video PBX is designed to meet the needs of the Department of Defense and the National Security Agency, both of which currently use the VUGate system extensively. This translates into reliable, high-quality, scalable systems that fit perfectly into the high-traffic volume visitation environment found in correctional facilities. The system is flexible and extensible, providing the building blocks to support future expansion with relative ease. This flexibility allowed TEC to integrate a number of sophisticated fiber-optic technologies from Sumitomo, Fiber Options, Force and Blonder Tongue, which allowed TEC to take advantage of available County resources and to meet the specific requirements of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office”.
Michael Bulriss, Vice President of VUGate, remarked, "Telecom Engineering Consultants is our largest and most experienced Systems Integrator, with particular expertise in Correctional and Judicial systems. Their knowledge of networking technologies and advanced fiber optic systems and their ability to integrate those technologies with VUGate’s flexible systems architecture were a key factor in the successful installation of the Lee County Inmate Video Visitation system. The Lee County project is an excellent example of the marriage of multiple communication and networking technologies to deliver a reliable, expandable and cost effective solution."
VUGate specializes in the development and integration of data, voice and video communication solutions, as well as highly sophisticated security applications. For more information on the VUGate and their products and services available through Telecom Engineering Consultants, call 1-800-733-1500 or visit the VUGate web site www.vugate.com.
Telecom Engineering Consultants, Inc. provides turnkey solutions involving the integration of video, data, voice and security technologies. With Headquarters at 9400 NW 25th Street, Miami, Florida 33172, Telecom markets its products and services throughout the US. For more information on the video, data, voice and security solutions available from Telecom, call (305) 592-4328 or visit our web site at www.tec-inc.com.
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