ShotSpotter, Centurist Merge to Form World's Largest
Provider of Gunshot Detection and Location Technology
New Company Combines World Leader in Gunshot Location
Systems for Law-Enforcement with Experts in Wireless Gunshot Location
Systems for Military
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. & ATLANTA, Mar 07, 2005 -- ShotSpotter, the
world-leader in gunshot location detection systems, and Centurist Systems of
Atlanta, GA, developer of wireless weapons location systems for the military
and defense markets, have today announced that they've agreed to merge to
form ShotSpotter, Inc (www.shotspotter.com).
The companies previously entered into a joint venture to develop military
and wireless products in December, 2003.
ShotSpotter has nine years of in-depth experience in fixed, urban
environment deployments of its gunshot location system. The company has a
deep customer base of law-enforcement agencies across the country, from
local police departments to the FBI, and has the most systems up-and-running
in the country.
"Centurist Systems and ShotSpotter together make excellent strategic sense,"
commented James G. Beldock, CEO of ShotSpotter. "Both companies hold key
patents relating to gunshot location and wireless technology, and their
combined position will make them both the market incumbent and the
technology leader. As the newly combined ShotSpotter, Inc, we are looking
forward to offering these synergies to our customers."
Centurist brings several valuable assets to the new company: intellectual
property consisting of more than fifty years of combined expertise in
building mobile digital signal processing (DSP) devices, and critical
patents on wireless gunshot detection equipment.
An additional benefit is sales and marketing relationships in the military
and homeland security arenas. Whereas ShotSpotter has been focused solely on
law-enforcement, the Centurist Systems team boasts two retired Generals with
experience in the military and homeland security markets. Retired Major
General Steve Siegfried, for instance, has brought valuable military
expertise and contacts to the joint venture, as well as his experience as
the former director of homeland security for South Carolina. Retired
Brigadier General Mitch Mitchiner, an aviation expert who served nearly 30
years in the US Army, is also a key team member.
"The new company will be able to address all aspects of gunshot location
detection in urban settings for law-enforcement, homeland security
applications and military urban and field applications," said Scott
Manderville, ShotSpotter Chairman and former CEO of Centurist Systems. "With
our mobile wireless technology, ShotSpotter, Inc. is virtually one-stop
shopping for gunshot and weapons location systems and technology for all
major markets."
James G. Beldock will retain his position as president and CEO of
ShotSpotter. Scott Manderville, formerly CEO, Centurist Systems, will be
chairman of the board of the new company, and will focus primarily on
expanding reach into the military and homeland security markets. Ret. Maj.
Gen. Steve Siegfried joins from Centurist Systems as vice chairman of the
board, and Robert Showen, PhD, remains as founder and chief scientist, and
is a board member of the new company.
Additional board members are Gary M. Lauder, managing director of Lauder
Partners in Menlo Park, CA, and Remigius Shatas, a partner with RNR Ventures
in Huntsville, AL.
About ShotSpotter, Inc. (www.shotspotter.com)
ShotSpotter, Inc., the leading developer of gunshot location systems and
technology, is based in Mountain View, CA. ShotSpotter's flagship product,
which detects gunfire across large urban areas using a small number of
inexpensive and easy-to-deploy sensors, currently protects the citizens of
cities nationwide, from Los Angeles, CA to Charleston, SC. Its products
recently assisted the FBI and the Franklin County Sheriff's Office in
identifying and capturing the Columbus, Ohio highway sniper suspect. In
2000, ShotSpotter was honored for its technology vision and leadership when
it won the Computerworld Smithsonian Laureate Award, having been nominated
by William H. Gates, chairman and chief software architect of Microsoft
Corporation, and the Smithsonian added its technology to the museum's
permanent collection. With technology covered by a US Patent, and with other
patents pending, the company also offers products to the homeland security
and military markets. ShotSpotter technology has produced arrests and
weapons confiscations nationwide and has helped reduce gunfire and crime
rates in cities that deploy it.
SOURCE: ShotSpotter, Inc.
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