March 01, 2006
Argentina leads the way in AMHS ground-to-ground messaging by deploying a system selected and contracted by ICAO, provided by Radiocom Inc.
By passing its
Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) and Provisional Site Acceptance Tests (PSAT) the
aviation messaging system now being rolled out in Argentina becomes one of the
first deployed systems based on the new ICAO standard for ground to ground
messaging, AMHS.
The new system was supplied by Radiocom Inc. of Miami, Florida and based on
components developed by Radiocom and UK software house Isode Ltd.
AMHS (Air Traffic Service Message Handling System) is the new standard for ground to ground messaging for air traffic.
Defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) it is based on the recognised ‘X.400’ messaging standard and replaces the existing legacy ‘AFTN’ systems still used by most Aeronautical Administrations worldwide.
Ground to ground messaging systems are used by Aeronautical Authorities to exchange information including meteorological charts, flight information bulletins and aeronautical information publications (or AIPs) – information crucial to the security and safety of national and international air travel.
By adopting AMHS, which is interoperable with the legacy systems (AFTN), Aeronautical Administrations can provide their airports with a number of key benefits, including:
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The ability to operate over a general purpose network, shared with other systems, rather than the dedicated network required by AFTN,
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Digital signature of messages, to provide content integrity and origin authentication,
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An Air Traffic Network directory, used for address verification, determination of the capabilities of the receiving system and management of security parameters,
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Support for very large messages and message attachments.
Radiocom Inc was chosen as the preferred supplier after an international competition and have based their solution on software components developed in-house and supplied by UK software house, Isode.
Complying with the Standards and Recommended Practices (SARP) of ICAO, Radiocom Inc. are able to offer the aeronautical market products that are ready-to-use today and solutions capable of integrating ATM systems, in a cost-effective way.
Products supplied in Argentina include:
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The TAU® User Agent. Originally designed as an AFTN terminal, TAU® has evolved into a versatile tool geared to work with the AMHS protocol, making it one of the most advanced terminals on the market.
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The ComGate® AFTN/AMHS gateway. The most effective way of linking AFTN and AMHS E-mail networks and sub networks converting data between different formats.
Isode have taken the lead in offering X.400 messaging and X.500 directory software, management tools, and APIs, necessary to provide the AMHS ground to ground communication channel as well as the integration products allowing vendors to build solutions that will work seamlessly with the legacy AFTN systems still deployed.
Commenting on successful acceptance tests Mr. Francisco A. Turconi, President of Radiocom Inc. said: “We are very pleased at being selected by ICAO, who made a choice on the basis of the features contained within our competitively priced system. These successful acceptance tests as well as the tests carried out during the bidding process not only allows us to demonstrate the maturity of our product, but it is also the best way to pay back ICAO’s confidence in our company”.
Steve Kille, CEO of Isode Limited added: “We’re very pleased to have been able to assist Radiocom Inc. with this ground breaking and important deployment. We believe that this deployment will be used as a model for future AMHS deployments in Latin America and worldwide".
Radiocom, Inc.
POBox 52-1345 Miami, FL. 33152 - U.S.A.
Tel. (786) 235-9910
Website www.radiocominc.com
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