Raytheon launches e-mail system for troops

Raytheon launched Monday a system that allows deployed troops to get access to their e-mails and other information directly.

The military contractor said that until now, troops had to download e-mail files to a disc and hand-carry them from one type of military radio to another as a result of interoperability problems among ultra-high frequency radios, which is a practice known as boot mail.

By developing the PDA 184 personal computer application, Raythoen said troops will be able to get e-mail directly and make boot mail obsolete. Developed by the Defense Information Systems Agency and integrated by Raytheon, the PDA will allow UHF radios interoperate seamlessly, the contractor said.

In a news release, Jerry Powlen, vice president of Raytheon's integrated communication systems said that "when we log onto our personal computers, we expect the e-mail to be there...we don't want to hand-carry e-mail from one computer to another and neither do our troops. The PDA 184 is a mission solution that solves the boot mail problem."

Copyright 2005 by United Press International