ANNAPOLIS, Md., Nov. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: TSYS), a world leader in highly reliable and secure mobile communication technology, today announced that its hosted Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS) solution has been named a finalist in the Best Mass Notification Category in Government Security News' Fourth Annual Homeland Security Awards.

Established by the WARN Act in 2006, CMAS is a voluntary national emergency alert system designed to deliver critical messages to the public, including Presidential emergency messages, AMBER alerts and imminent threats to life and property. CMAS provides federal, state, local, territorial and tribal and government officials with the ability to send 90-character, geographically targeted messages. 

TCS' Hosted CMAS solution enables wireless operators to securely connect to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) Gateway and deliver geographically targeted emergency alerts to mobile subscribers facing imminent threat to life or property. It is device agnostic and works with iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Windows mobile operating systems.

TCS Hosted CMAS News Facts:

• Cell-broadcast technology ensures the wireless alerts will not get caught in point-to-point congestion during an emergency.
• TCS' CMAS solution has been deployed by national and rural mobile operators throughout the United States and Puerto Rico and was also selected by the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) to serve as a redundant pathway for FEMA's CMAS emergency notifications.
• In the case of a disaster, the geo-redundancy of TCS' CMAS helps ensure delivery of critical, geo-targeted messages.
• TCS' TL9000-certified Network Operations Centers located in Seattle, WA and Phoenix, AZ provide system monitoring and hands-on support 24x7x365.
• TCS provides end-to-end management and support for its customers, including deployment, integration, testing, operations, administration, maintenance and troubleshooting for optimized service.

The finalists and winners were selected by a panel of objective judges, according to Jacob Goodwin, editor-in-chief of Government Security News. All Homeland Security Award winners will be announced – and honored – at a gala dinner GSN is hosting at the Washington, DC Convention Center on Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012.

Supporting Quotes:

• Mark Titus, vice president of messaging product management at TCS, said, "Our involvement in the creation of the CMAS standards and more than two decades of public safety pioneering has given TCS significant expertise in emergency alerting and wireless public safety solutions. It is an honor to receive this recognition of our innovative approach to emergency alerting from a respected industry organization."
• Jacob Goodwin, editor-in-chief of Government Security News, said, "We received an extraordinary number of entries. We have carefully reviewed each entry and are now very pleased to announce an exceptionally strong field of finalists."

Over the past year, TCS' highly reliable and secure mobile communication technology powered the delivery of nearly a trillion text messages and over 65 million wireless emergency calls. TCS wireless technology also serves U.S. military customers with mission-critical solutions. TCS operates the only non-operator TL 9000-certified network operations centers supporting E9-1-1, and supports next generation emergency, text messaging and location-based solutions. Wireless operators across the United States and abroad use TCS emergency alerting technology. A member of the TIA and ATIS standards bodies, TCS has been actively involved in CMAS-related standards working sessions since January 2008.

About TeleCommunication Systems, Inc.
TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: TSYS) is a world leader in highly reliable and secure mobile communication technology. The company's infrastructure forms the foundation for market leading solutions in E9-1-1, text messaging, commercial location and deployable wireless communications. It is at the forefront of new mobile cloud computing services providing wireless applications for navigation, hyper-local search, asset tracking, social applications and telematics. Millions of consumers around the world use the company's wireless apps as a fundamental part of their daily lives. Government agencies utilize its cyber security expertise, professional services, and highly secure deployable satellite solutions for mission-critical communications. Headquartered in Annapolis, MD, the company maintains technical, service and sales offices around the world. To learn more about emerging and innovative wireless technologies, visit www.telecomsys.com.

Except for the historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements as defined within Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and are based upon TeleCommunication Systems' current expectations and assumptions that if incorrect would cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. Risks include those detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including the report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011 and on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2012.

Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances, or otherwise.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120503/PH99996LOGO)

SOURCE TeleCommunication Systems, Inc.