The joint development by Eurocopter and Kannad of a new-generation emergency distress beacon for helicopters was recognized today with an award presented during a conference of industry managers, entrepreneurs, agencies, and managers in the economic and technology sectors.

The trophy was bestowed on Eurocopter, a worldwide leader in the production of helicopters, and Kannad, a company of the Orolia Group (NYSE Alternext Paris – FR0010501015 – ALORO) for their collaborative development of the distress beacon – called Integra – which enables a helicopter to be more reliably located in an emergency situation.

Innovative features of the Integra beacon include the first use of an internal GPS (Global Positioning System) and an integrated antenna for signal transmissions detected by search and rescue systems.

The award was received by Kannad and Eurocopter during the 6th conference of the observatory on relationships between large multinational groups and small/medium enterprises. This event was organized jointly by France’s MEDEF, OSEO, Croissance Plus, PactePme and the IE Club.

The prize, awarded in the ‘High-Technology’ category, was presented by the two companies at today’s conference in the Paris suburbs at Jouy-en-Josas, which is staged during the MEDEF Summer University – a major French political-business gathering where industry captains and politicians participate in roundtable discussions on key economic issues.

“We are especially proud to receive this distinction, which recognizes our innovation strategy and our technological leadership in the distress beacon market,” commented Jean Yves Courtois, CEO of the Orolia Group. “For Kannad, the partnership with Eurocopter allowed us to define the functional characteristics of the product to best meet the clients’ needs, and to test the product in real-life conditions thanks to the technical methods and materials that Eurocopter has available. At the same time, we have benefitted from an exclusive licence carrying the Eurocopter patent.”

Courtois added that the technological advantages provided by the Integra beacon across all sectors of the aviation market have led to the company’s decision to establish a new commercial team in the United States, with the goal of speeding up its development in the world’s largest aviation market.

M. Claudius Zwicker, Eurocopter’s Senior Vice President of Avionics Systems, said the Integra system uses technological innovation to significantly improve the reliability of aviation emergency distress beacons. “This improves the efficiency of search and rescue agencies in locating helicopters in difficulty or in emergency situations,” he added. “Thanks to this partnership, Eurocopter now has a new technology that provides the most reliable pinpointing of helicopters in critical situations.”

When the external antenna on a traditional beacon is broken, the connection is lost and the beacon is unable to emit internationally-recognized emergency signals, and cannot provide location information for the aircraft.  If the external antenna is broken, the Integra beacon’s integrated antenna automatically takes over. The internationally recognized distress signals are transmitted, along with positioning information for the aircraft. Therefore, the rescue response can be launched.

About Kannad (http://www.kannad.com)
Kannad, a company of Orolia Group, specialises in producing aviation beacons which have saved thousands of lives over the last 20 years. Kannad’s products are tailored to each type of application, from airliners to light aircraft. Kannad also provides tracking solutions which are dedicated to niche markets where environmental conditions require a high level of reliability and expertise for a specific task.

About Orolia
Orolia is a high-technology group specialized in precise Positioning, Navigation and Timing. Orolia provides high-precision electronics equipments that generate, distribute, measure and process the high-precision time & frequency signals that critical operations use to detect, trace, control, analyze or synchronize time and location-critical events. High-precision timing, positioning and synchronization solutions are vital for critical applications in growing markets such as Defense, Public Safety, and Telecom & Broadcasting in land, maritime, air or space environments. Since 2006, the Orolia group has been able to establish itself as one of the leaders in PNT solutions at a global level through five companies: Spectracom, SpectraTime, T4Science, McMurdo and Kannad. Orolia’s headquarters are located in Les Ulis, (France). The company also has main offices in Neuchâtel (Switzerland), Stockholm (Sweden), Rochester (New York), Basingstoke (UK), Portsmouth (UK) and Guidel (France).

About Eurocopter (www.eurocopter.com)
Established in 1992, the Franco-German-Spanish Eurocopter Group is a Division of EADS, a world leader in aerospace, defence and related services. The Eurocopter Group employs approx. 15,600 people. In 2009, Eurocopter confirmed its position as the world’s No. 1 helicopter manufacturer in the civil and parapublic market, with a turnover of 4.6 billion Euros, orders for 344 new helicopters, and a 52 percent market share in the civil and parapublic sectors. Overall, the Group’s products account for 30 percent of the total world helicopter fleet. Its strong worldwide presence is ensured by its 18 subsidiaries on five continents, along with a dense network of distributors, certified agents and maintenance centres. More than 10,500 Eurocopter helicopters are currently in service with over 2,800 customers in more than 140 countries. Eurocopter offers the largest civil and military helicopter range in the world.