[SatNews] Technology that enables less in the way of equipment and more in the way of communication is a plus for most companies.

Harris Corporation (NYSE: HRS) has been awarded an order from CenterPoint Energy to deploy an Internet Protocol-based (IP) 800 MHz OpenSky® communication system. The Harris OpenSky system will enable CenterPoint Energy to replace its current disparate voice radio and mobile data radio communications systems with one digital voice and data network providing mobile and portable coverage to its field employees in the Houston metropolitan area. The multi-site digital system will replace CenterPoint Energy's existing single-site analog trunked radio system and its current mobile data system. This integrated solution will consolidate radio system operations, enabling lower installation costs, reduced long-term maintenance requirements and lower total ownership cost.

Harris OpenSky uses Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) technology that provides many talkpaths on each 800 MHz wideband RF channel. As a result, the system enables more user calls per channel, thereby adding capacity through improved spectrum utilization. OpenSky delivers both network level and radio level interoperability with existing legacy trunked and conventional radio systems, regardless of manufacturer or frequency band. The software-defined technology will give CenterPoint the ability to remotely change radio user options and install new software revisions in radio and system components, dramatically reducing radio downtime for upgrades. OpenSky has been the technology choice of several of the largest utility providers in the United States to deliver IP-based solutions for their integrated voice and data radio communications.