Air Methods to Equip Entire LifeNet Division Fleet With Flight Tracking System Developed by Digital Angel Subsidiary OuterLink
June 22 2005 - 8:35AM
PR Newswire (US)
Air Methods to Equip Entire LifeNet Division Fleet With Flight
Tracking System Developed by Digital Angel Subsidiary OuterLink
Satellite-Based System Features Real-Time Position Reporting,
Precise Billable-Mile Tracking, Two-Way Digital Messaging and
Continuous Mayday Alerts SO. ST. PAUL, Minn., June 22
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Digital Angel Corporation (AMEX:DOC), an
advanced technology company in the field of rapid and accurate
identification, location tracking, and condition monitoring of
high-value assets, announced today that the world's largest air
ambulance operator, Englewood, CO-based Air Methods Corporation
(NASDAQ:AIRM), is expanding its use of the OuterLink Flight
Tracking and Messaging System. After approximately 18 months of
evaluating 50 OuterLink systems and the confirmation of their
administrative and safety benefits, Air Methods has decided to
equip the balance of its LifeNet Division fleet and its future
LifeNet aircraft with the OuterLink systems. The OuterLink system's
unique ability to provide position reporting every 30 seconds,
three-second Mayday alerts, system reliability and ability to
verify and archive exact trip mileage were key factors in Air
Methods' decision to expand its deployment of the OuterLink
Satellite Tracking System, said David Dolstein, Senior Vice
President for Air Methods. "Our decision was based on several
factors, but paramount was the ability of the system to interface
with our existing CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch) system," Dolstein
said. "OuterLink was more than willing to work with our software
vendor to get this accomplished. The ability to track our aircraft
in real time and maintain a history of patient mileage reports was
also a key component in the decision. We had excellent success and
reliability with our initial OuterLink tracking and communication
systems. Incorporating OuterLink across our entire LifeNet Division
enhances our ability to provide safe, efficient patient
transportation." The OuterLink system enables Air Methods'
management oversight in deployment and in activity of all aircraft
equipped with OuterLink from its national Communication Center in
Omaha. In addition to providing dispatchers with real-time flight
tracking data, OuterLink's satcom terminal also incorporates
capability for two-way digital messaging. In addition to
communication redundancy, digital messaging accommodates enhanced
interface between the aircraft and communications center for laptop
computers and/or patient monitoring devices. While the entire fleet
is monitored by LifeNet's National Communications Center, LifeNet
managers and sending or receiving medical centers also have the
ability to monitor the movement of a responding (OuterLink
equipped) aircraft. The OuterLink system also includes low-profile
antennas installed on each aircraft and the CommTrack suite of PC
software tools enabling flight management to visually track and
display real-time and historical information about all aircraft
under their control. The software incorporates a comprehensive map
database that allows dispatchers to pan and zoom into whatever
level of topographic detail is relevant to their tracking needs. It
also provides the capability to display weather information on
these maps to provide up-to-the-minute advisories to
flight-following dispatchers. "For us, another key component of
CommTrack is the CommFigure Trip Reporting software," Dolstein
added. "By tracking and computing miles flown from any time period,
we have the ability to provide accurate trip information to our
customers and maximize revenue based on actual mileage." Kevin
O'Brien, OuterLink's Vice President of Operations, said, "Commonly,
hospitals realize accurate mileage reports generate increased
earnings sufficient to recover the initial OuterLink investment
within one year, as well as future operating costs thereafter."
About Air Methods Corporation Air Methods Corporation
(http://www.airmethods.com/) is a leader in emergency aeromedical
transportation, medical services and technology. The Air Medical
Services Division is the largest provider of air medical transport
services for hospitals in the world. The LifeNet Division is the
largest community-based provider of air medical services. The
Products Division specializes in the design and manufacture of
aeromedical and aerospace technology. The Company's fleet of owned,
leased or maintained aircraft features over 185 helicopters and
fixed wing aircraft. About OuterLink Based in Lowell, MA,
OuterLink, a Digital Angel subsidiary, provides satellite-based
mobile asset tracking and data messaging systems. Used to manage
the deployment of aircraft and land vehicles, these systems provide
real-time location reporting, secure bi-directional data
communication and comprehensive asset management software. They
enable ground personnel to track the minute-by-minute movement of
mobile assets, monitor on-board sensors and conduct bi-directional
messaging with aircraft pilots and ground vehicle operators. For
more information, visit http://www.outerlink.com/. About Digital
Angel Corporation Digital Angel Corporation develops and deploys
sensor and communications technologies that enable rapid and
accurate identification, location tracking, and condition
monitoring of high-value assets. Applications for the Company's
products include identification and monitoring of pets, fish and
livestock through its patented implantable microchips; location
tracking and message monitoring of vehicles and aircraft in remote
locations through systems that integrate GPS and geosynchronous
satellite communications; and monitoring of asset conditions such
as temperature and movement, through advanced miniature sensors.
Digital Angel Corporation is majority-owned by Applied Digital
Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADSX). For more information about Digital
Angel, please visit http://www.digitalangelcorp.com/. The
statements in this press release that are not strictly historical,
are "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 27A
of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 and are intended to be covered by the safe
harbors created by these sections. The forward-looking statements
are subject to risks and uncertainties and the actual results that
the Company achieves may differ materially from these
forward-looking statements due to such risks and uncertainties,
including, but not limited to, that recent changes in the Company's
senior management could have an adverse effect on the Company's
financial results that the Company's stockholders will experience
dilution if certain debt owned by the Company is converted into
common stock; the risk of foreclosure on substantially all of the
Company's assets; that the Company's majority stockholder, Applied
Digital Inc. is able to completely control the board of directors
and may support actions that conflict with the interests of other
stockholders; that the Company's earnings will decline if it writes
off additional goodwill and other intangible assets; that exercises
of the Company's options and warrants outstanding and available for
issuance may adversely affect the market price of the Company's
common stock, the Company's inability to generate income, the
Company's ability to maintain patent and trade secret protection,
domestic and foreign government regulation, the Company's sales to
government contractors of animal identification products,
dependence on a single production arrangement for its patented
syringe-injectable microchips, dependence on principal customers,
competition in the visual and electronic identification markets,
foreign currency rate fluctuation, dependence on a small team of
senior management and the Company's ability to develop, integrate
and miniaturize and market the Digital Angel(TM) technology. A
detailed statement of risks and uncertainties is contained in the
Company's reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission,
including in particular the Company's Form 10-K for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2004. Investors and stockholders are urged to
read this document carefully. The Company can offer no assurances
that any projections, assumptions or forecasts made or discussed in
this release will be met, and investors should understand the risks
of investing solely due to such projections. The Company undertakes
no obligation to revise any forward-looking statements in order to
reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of
this press release. Contact: Allen & Caron Inc. Mike Lucarelli
(investors) Len Hall (media) (212) 691-8087 (949) 474-4300
DATASOURCE: Digital Angel Corporation CONTACT: Investors, Mike
Lucarelli, +1-212-691-8087, , or Media, Len Hall, +1-949-474-4300,
, both of Allen & Caron Inc., for Digital Angel Corporation Web
site: http://www.outerlink.com/ Web site:
http://www.airmethods.com/ Web site:
http://www.digitalangelcorp.com/
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