SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, Sept. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Council of Mayors of the San Salvador Metropolitan Area (COAMSS) through its Planning Office (OPAMSS), Tigo, RTI International (RTI) and Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM), through its Wireless Reach™ initiative, announced the expansion of the Seguridad Inalambrica (Wireless Security) project in continued collaboration with the National Civilian Police, Corps of Metropolitan Agents (CAM) of participating municipalities and the U.S. Government through its Agency for International Development (USAID).

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Seguridad Inalambrica uses Qualcomm 3G wireless technology to collect and share crime information, enabling several municipalities in El Salvador to analyze patterns more effectively and improve crime and violence prevention programs. During the systems first phase, Seguridad Inalambrica enabled real-time monitoring and analysis of crime patterns and made this vital data more accessible to the National Civilian Police (PNC), the Corps of Metropolitan Agents (CAM) and the municipal government in Santa Tecla. Phase one resulted in nearly 700 reports submissions and 192 personnel received training.

In cooperation with OPAMSS, Seguridad Inalambrica is continuing operations in Santa Tecla and now expanding to additional municipalities in the San Salvador metropolitan area, including Antiguo Cuscatlan, San Martin, San Salvador, Apopa, Ciudad Delgado and Ayutuxtepeque. OPAMSS is providing key communication and coordination between all participating municipalities and agencies. The enhanced system gives the PNC and CAM participants mobile and web-based applications that allow communication between organizations and the ability to map and analyze real-time crime data via 3G technology. In the brief time since the installment of the second phase, more than 100 reports have been submitted and 127 people have been trained.

"It is necessary for municipalities and institutions to undertake joint actions in order to prevent crime," said Norman Quijano, general coordinator of COAMSS. "This is why we are pleased to announce that the Wireless Security program will be extended to include more areas within the Metropolitan region."

"Phase one of the project was an excellent experience," said Oscar Ortiz, coordinator of the COAMSS' Institutional Commission and mayor of Santa Tecla. "We had the opportunity to learn more about the real benefits of using cutting edge technology to prevent crime which enabled us to create detailed reports quickly and come up with focused policies and strategies according to the needs of each sector."

Tigo, one of the leading telecommunications providers in El Salvador with more than 2.4 million subscribers, has committed to providing the project with Android-based smartphones powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon™ processors and 3G data services for each municipality for one year. Following feedback from the project's first phase in Santa Tecla, the smartphones in phase two are equipped with an enhanced, easy-to-use software application and an improved web interface. Participating law enforcement officers are being issued the smartphones with the Seguridad Inalambrica application, which, alongside built-in Global Positioning System (GPS) capabilities, camera and other features, is used to create detailed incident reports. Officers will have the ability to adjust GPS location to improve precision and attach photos and voice recordings to each report, which is then transmitted immediately via Tigo's 3G network to the web-based crime database application; reports also can be entered, monitored, reviewed and approved via the web-based application at police bases. In addition, municipal violence prevention observatories have direct access to the database for advanced geospatial analysis of crime patterns.

"At Tigo, one of the pillars of our Corporate Social Responsibility program is Social Welfare.  Which is why, for us, it is important to participate in and support crime prevention and public safety programs," said Nina Muyshondt, marketing director for TIGO.

As part of this effort, Qualcomm's Wireless Reach initiative is providing funding to RTI International to update the system and expand the project to the additional municipalities. This funding supports project strategy, system design and development, training, implementation and management oversight.

"Seguridad Inalambrica demonstrates the extraordinary benefits that 3G wireless connectivity can bring to enhance public safety," said Carlos Sanchez, director of business development for Qualcomm Latin America. "We look forward to building on the knowledge we have gained during the first phase of the project to further expand this innovative application and system to benefit many more people in phase two."

Seguridad Inalambrica continues to create a foundation and system for crime mapping and demonstrates how the applications enabled by advanced wireless technologies can turn a mobile phone into a tool for improving the implementation of more effective crime prevention measures.  The Seguridad Inalambrica project was conceived to advance crime reduction efforts and improve citizen security – to find better ways to fight crime for the people of El Salvador and elsewhere.

About OPAMSS
The Council of Mayors of the San Salvador Metropolitan Area (COAMSS) was founded in July 1987 with the main objective of facilitating the reconstruction of the city of San Salvador and its outlying municipalities which were affected by an earthquake on October 10th 1986.

The COAMSS is currently comprised of 14 municipalities (San Salvador, Ciudad Delgado, Mejicanos, Soyapango, Cuscatancingo, San Marcos, Ilopango, Nejapa, Apopa, Ayutuxtepeque, San Martin, Tonacatepeque, Apopa and Antiguo Cuscatlan), and its strategic goal is to "Build a democratic, economically competitive and sustainable AMSS which focuses on national development and development opportunities for its citizens."

In order to fulfill one of its main tasks (the planning and control of urban development), the COAMSS created the Planning Office for the San Salvador Metropolitan Area (OPAMSS), whose objectives include investigating and analyzing development problems within the AMSS, as well as proposing strategic actions for their resolution.

About Tigo
Tigo is a division of the Millicom International Cellular telecommunications group, which operates in 16 countries located throughout Latin America, Asia and Africa.

Our headquarters are located in Luxembourg, and we currently provide services to approximately 289 million users, making us one of the most important players on the cellular operations market in the region.

In El Salvador, we have more than 20 years' experience in the telecommunications sector, offering an ever-growing variety of excellent services which seek to meet the technology needs of our customers.

About RTI International
RTI International is an independent, nonprofit research institute based in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Established in 1958 as the Research Triangle Institute, RTI has a distinguished history of scientific achievement in the areas of health and pharmaceuticals, education and training, surveys and statistics, advanced technology, international development, economic and social policy, energy and the environment, and laboratory testing and chemical analysis. RTI's staff of more than 2,800 supports projects in more than 40 countries.

About Qualcomm and its Wireless Reach Initiative
Qualcomm believes access to 3G and next-generation mobile technologies can improve people's lives. Qualcomm's Wireless Reach initiative is a strategic program that brings wireless technology to underserved communities globally. By working with partners, Wireless Reach invests in projects that foster entrepreneurship, aid in public safety, enhance the delivery of health care, enrich teaching and learning and improve environmental sustainability. For more information please visit www.qualcomm.com/wirelessreach.

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) is the world leader in 3G and next-generation mobile technologies. For more than 25 years, Qualcomm ideas and inventions have driven the evolution of digital communications, linking people everywhere more closely to information, entertainment and each other. For more information, visit Qualcomm's website, OnQ blog, Twitter and Facebook pages.

Qualcomm is a registered trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated. Snapdragon and Wireless Reach are trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated.  All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Qualcomm Contacts:
Yennie Rautenberg, Corporate Communications
Phone: 1-858-845-5959
Email: corpcomm@qualcomm.com

Warren Kneeshaw, Investor Relations
Phone: 1-858-658-4813
Email: ir@qualcomm.com

OPAMSS Contact:
Tito Handal, Director del Observatorio del Crimen del Área Metropolitana de San Salvador
Phone: (503) 2234-0600
Email: tito.handal@opamss.org.sv

Tigo Contact:
Luis E. Sanchez Gaytan, Integrity Manager
Phone: (503) 2500-4671
Email: Luis.Sanchez@Millicom.com

RTI International Contact:
Gordon Cressman
Senior Program Director
Research Computing Division
Phone: 1-919-541-6363
Email: gmc@rti.org

SOURCE OPAMSS, Tigo, RTI International and Qualcomm Incorporated