U.S. Postal Inspection Service Selects Diebold

Diebold has signed a national service agreement with the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) to support its National Intrusion Detection System program.

The one-year contract, which is renewable annually for up to four more years, includes panel repairs, upgrades or additions as needed to establish communications between each of the USPIS locations with the National Law Enforcement Communications Centers (NLECC). The program will connect intrusion detection systems -- already in place at approximately 11,000 post offices -- to the Inspection Service National Law Enforcement Control Centers for alarm monitoring. Diebold will also repair and upgrade the Bosch Radionics systems at postal facilities in all 50 states. Diebold is a long-standing reseller of the Bosch Security Systems Radionics alarm panels used at all Postal Service installations. The panels were once monitored by local facilities across the country, but USPIS developed a new strategy to consolidate monitoring into two national centers. The USPIS believes the change will provide standardized and consistent maintenance and installation practices, more consistent and complete testing and validation procedures, as well as reduced telecommunications costs. The USPIS predicted most of the conversions could be handled remotely via telecommunications, but on-site service or equipment upgrades would be required at some locations. The conversion process initially began in April 2004. In addition to supporting the transition to centralized monitoring, the contract also gives Diebold and Bosch the opportunity to provide replacements and upgrades for an estimated 10,000 systems during the five-year National Intrusion Detection System Program.