Another award for Critical

Media

Press Releases

Another award for Critical

Emergency services system scoops European IT Excellence Award

11 Feb 2011

It is always hard for new entrants to any market to establish credibility, so Southampton-based Critical Software Technologies was delighted to hear that its parent company had won the European IT Excellence Award for Enterprise Solutions at a gala event at the London Marriott in Grosvenor Square yesterday.

Critical group companies are at the forefront in the development of complex, dynamic, software-intensive safety and mission critical systems. The UK company focuses mainly on Aerospace, Energy, Transport and Critical National Infrastructure domains.

It is in this latter category that Critical Software's success has come. Here in the UK, we are used to dialling 999 in an emergency and the authorities have had only limited success in weaning the public off that number and onto 101 as an alternative for slightly less urgent calls. Across the rest of Europe however, people know to dial 112, and it is a little known fact that - in deference to European harmonisation - 112 works just like 999 in the UK.

Critical Software was the chosen technology partner of the Portuguese Interior Ministry to completely overhaul 112.pt, which is now recognised as one of the best emergency services provided in the European Union. The new 112.pt system has brought about a profound strategic change to the provision of emergency response services in Portugal. The European IT Excellence award is actually the second time the development has been honoured, this latest award following hard on the heels of the 112 National System of Excellence awarded by the European Emergency Numbers Association in Brussels.

Chairman of Critical Software Technologies Ltd, Brian Luff, said "We are not at all surprised by this recognition of the efforts of our colleagues in Portugal, and we are delighted that the award ceremony has been held here in London. Winning the award will certainly help to cement the reputation Critical has been developing with a growing number of UK clients."