GDS Contracts To Deploy Lightning Access System

General Defense Systems, Inc. has secured a contract to deploy the General Defense Systems (GDS) Lightning Access System, designed to improve information access for security systems at U.S. ports, including shipping container X-ray inspection systems. The first of these systems is to be deployed at the Port of Miami, offering a wireless broadband connection to the facility's existing X-ray container inspection system and providing real-time access to video cameras mounted on the X-ray system, as well as to the X-ray images as they are viewed. "Our Lightning Access System is another example of the integrated technology that GDS is implementing to assist in the improvement of information dissemination and access for homeland security," states Frank Fawcett, GDS president. "This system complements the recently proposed federal government reorganization initiative to facilitate the flow of critical data, providing network access capabilities for affected government agencies." According to Fawcett, by integrating broadband access for shipping container X-ray systems, the U.S. Government will gain the benefit of real-time remote access to X-ray imaging for increased technical support, as well as the availability of digital history files for online review and analysis of these X-ray images. The GDS Lightning Access System also includes digital video storage capabilities to provide history files of all cameras and the X-ray imaging for up to one month of data.