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CHICAGO – August 31st, 2020 – Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: MSI) today announced it has acquired Callyo, a cloud-based mobile applications provider for law enforcement. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Callyo is a software as a service company (SaaS) serving thousands of public safety customers across North America. Its portfolio includes two application suites – 10-21, which simplifies communication between first responders and citizens, and Callyo, which provides investigative tools that improve digital evidence collection.

This acquisition adds to Motorola Solutions’ existing command center software suite critical mobile technology capabilities that enable information to flow seamlessly from the field to the command center.

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Sponsored by Callyo

By Laura Neitzel, PoliceOne BrandFocus Staff

Necessity is the mother of invention, as the saying goes. During a time when face-to-face encounters can turn deadly, people across the world are turning to video apps like FaceTime, Zoom and Google Hangouts to turn social distancing into distant socializing.

Because of the unprecedented nature of the COVID-19 crisis, first responders – already stretched thin – are having to prioritize what types of calls for service will result in an officer being dispatched to a home or business.

What if, law enforcement, as it often does, adopts and adapts technologies that are already in the hands of consumers? What if instead of responding in person to non-urgent calls, police could use a video app that would let officers interact with residents at a safe distance while providing a degree of connectedness like a video chat does?

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Even in a global emergency like COVID-19, police business must go on.

Although the CDC encourages social distancing to slow the spread of the disease, traditionally law enforcement officers have conducted much non-emergency police work like investigations and accident reports through in-person encounters. This needs to change.

In response to COVID-19, many agencies are using 10-21 Police Phone to reduce face-to-face encounters with citizens by solving routine police work by phone. For example, a non-emergency call that may traditionally result in dispatching an officer can be addressed over a simple phone call.

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St Petersburg, Florida --Callyo, the leading mobile law enforcement software as a service (SaaS) company, is honored to be named to the 2020 GovTech 100 for the 3rd consecutive year.

The annual list, created by Government Technology News in 2016, compiles the top 100 companies focused on making a difference in state and local government agencies.

“We’re excited to have been listed a GovTech 100 company for the third year in a row,” said Steve Ressler, President. “Our team is passionate about bringing innovative technology to law enforcement and feel honored to work with our 10,000+ law enforcement agency partners every day.”

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CARSON CITY, Nev., June 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Callyo, the leading mobile law enforcement software as a service (SaaS) company, has announced that they have partnered with Sonim Technologies (NASDAQ: SONM) to integrate Callyo's 10-21 Video onto the Sonim XP8 Android mobile phone.

Currently serving 150,000+ officers and 10,000+ agencies throughout the country, Callyo's partnership with Sonim brings together two types of first responder technologies. With 10-21 Video on the Sonim XP8, law enforcement officers can rely on a device that is built to withstand extreme conditions all while providing instant video functionality that enhances officer safety in the field. The integration of 10-21 Video allows officers to record video with a click of a button thereby eliminating the need for a standalone camera while on the job. Now officers can use their mobile phone as a dashcam while on patrol, conduct field interviews or go into conceal mode when capturing surveillance all while broadcasting their location and surroundings.

"We chose to partner with Sonim because of the company's mission-critical technology," said Chris Bennett, Chief Product Officer & Founder of Callyo. "We look forward to expanding functionality and benefits for public safety by bringing our purpose-built law enforcement software to the Sonim purpose-built hardware device."

The XP8 provides users with an ultra-rugged, easy-to-use experience with its built-in dedicated push-to-talk button, emergency key, long battery life and extra-loud audio. It delivers exceptional toughness by meeting Ingress Protection (IP)-68/69 and Military Standard 810G certifications for hazards, making it waterproof, shockproof, scratchproof and dustproof. The XP8 also integrates a puncture resistant 5" touchscreen that works with gloves or wet fingers and is visible in direct sunlight, while providing up to 35 hours of talk time or 600 hours of standby time.

Robert Escalle, Sonim's VP of Public Safety Market Segment, welcomed the partnership as a means to demonstrate Sonim's desire to serve those who serve us. "By integrating Callyo's 10-21 video solution onto the XP8, we're able to streamline mobile communications for first responders when seconds count. Having to manage one less device and instant access to video can make all the difference in an emergency situation."

To learn more about 10-21 Video by Callyo, go to www.10-21.com. For more on Sonim, visit https://www.sonimtech.com/.

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A year ago, we brought Public Safety’s specialized communications platform to life with the launch of the FirstNet network core. It was a milestone moment for Public Safety – marking a significant communications advancement for first responders.

Twelve months in the making. We built the FirstNet evolved packet core from the ground up to meet Public Safety’s specific needs. The physically separate infrastructure on which it was architected is completely dedicated to FirstNet subscribers. Why?

Because that’s what Public Safety expressly asked for. This was also critical to creating the highly secure communications environment that first responders demand.

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What was the inspiration behind starting your company?

My companies leading up to Callyo (pronounced call-ē-ō) increasingly had a focus on helping the public by equipping emergency management with better technology. That crossed into public safety for me at a time when I lived in an area with heavy police presence and found myself routinely chatting with detectives in my neighborhood. I knew I could apply my talents to equip these investigators with modern mobile technology to replace their old hardware -- that’s how the company was born.

What is your signature product and how does it work?

10-21 Police Phone improves police-citizen communications and community relations by making officers more accessible (but without giving out personal numbers). It’s a free app that officers can use to call citizens from local numbers, where citizens have the ability to send a push notification requesting a call back. 10-21 diverts millions of calls away from dispatch centers each year.

Why do you believe your products are essential to your vertical (Police, Fire, EMS, Corrections, Government) community?

Callyo’s products save valuable time and resources for the communities we serve, making evidence collection safer, easier, and more reliable, in turn increasing prosecution rates all while respecting the privacy of our citizens.

What has been the biggest challenge your company has faced?

Like many companies, we face the challenge of deciding which problem or feature to attack next. There are so many areas where we can help, and sometimes deciding which will have the biggest impact on our community isn’t always clear. Callyo continues to invest in new products and engineers while keeping prices affordable to agencies of all sizes.

What makes your company unique?

Callyo is unique in that from day one we’ve built a culture where we first became an officer safety company, then a customer service company, then a technology company. We only serve law enforcement and from our first day have had 24/7 customer support with an obsession of helping each officer we come in contact with. When we’re not helping customers, we’re celebrating every holiday and event in our St. Petersburg, Florida office while having a lot of fun. Second, with so many equipment and gadget vendors in the space, Callyo is unique in our mantra that “you shouldn’t need special equipment to do something special.” The smartphone in your pocket is the best possible foundation to unlock limitless lifesaving abilities.

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Following a rigorous review process, 10-21 Video by Callyo is now FirstNet Listed and available via the FirstNet App Catalog.

FirstNet – America's public safety communications platform – features the first-ever App Catalog geared to first responders. This gives FirstNet subscribers a dedicated location to find meaningful new solutions that have been specifically reviewed for use on FirstNet. Before a mobile solution can be added to the FirstNet App Catalog, it must pass stringent tests for security, relevancy, data privacy and more.

Achieving a FirstNet Listed designation means 10-21 Video is a vetted and trusted solution for public safety, meeting FirstNet app requirements. Additionally, FirstNet subscribers will be able to experience the benefits of key FirstNet capabilities – like First Priority™, which enables priority and, for first responders, preemption – while using 10-21 Video.

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With a firearm, extra mags, radio, body-worn camera, flashlight, cuffs, baton and electronically controlled device, a law enforcement officer may be carrying over 15 pounds worth of gear – and all of it is essential. You never know what a duty shift may hold, so you have to be prepared for anything.

You wouldn’t skimp on a piece of gear that allows you to do your job efficiently, effectively and safely, so you shouldn’t skimp on equipping your mobile device with cloud-based apps that do the same. Mobile apps are an essential component of a law enforcement officer’s duty belt, adding power without adding heft.

Whether it’s a laptop, a smartphone, a tablet or a smartwatch, mobile devices and cloud computing have given police officers exponentially more information at their fingertips – along with greater efficiency, cost savings, evidence integrity and responsiveness to citizens.

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On a corner of Chris Bennett’s desk is a framed 8×10 illustration. It’s Bennett himself, in this very office and standing in front of this very desk, re-imagined as a character from The Simpsons. The cartoon Bennett – holding a coffee mug with his company’s logo – is yellow-skinned, bug-eyed and smiling a big, toothy, Simpsons-style grin.

The picture – a recent birthday gift, Bennett explains – is the 800-pound gorilla in the room, the one little nod to levity in a place where the work that’s done is about as serious as it gets.

Bennett is the founder and president of Callyo, a St. Petersburg-based SaaS (Software as a Service) firm that creates communications technology for law enforcement – a cloud-based phone network for obtaining and storing evidence, and more.

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Steve Ressler, who founded the government social networking and training website GovLoop, has become president of the police tech company Callyo.

Ressler is now the company’s president, with founder Chris Bennett transitioning to the role of chief product officer. There’s no designated chief executive officer.

Callyo’s primary offerings are two mobile applications for law enforcement: 10-21 Police Phone and 10-21 Video. The former is free, and allows police officers to make calls to citizens using their personal cellphones but without the citizen seeing the officer’s number.

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Police body-worn cameras are now a social justice matter. They are also a part of the discussion about growing use of law enforcement surveillance and the untold possibilities of artificial intelligence. Their use is growing, and looks to continue growing.

A company named Callyo wants to make it even easier for law enforcement to film their activities. And it has launched an app to do just that: 10-21 Video.

The app acts as an alternative to body cams, serving as a way for law enforcement to capture video on their cellphones without storing it on those phones. For free, users can stream unlimited video and store it for three days. Upgrades offer the ability to store them for longer, download them and manage records and users.

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THE PROBLEM

Let’s be honest. A quick work related call on your personal phone is always a temptation. It is such an annoyance to return to the office to use a department phone. Most departments don’t have the finances to issue work cell phones to their officers and I have to confess, I have been guilty of using my personal phone and blocking my phone number while making work calls. The problem is when calling from a blocked number or even department issued restricted number, most people won’t answer the phone. It is also more and more common for people to have a setting on their phone that will automatically reject blocked or restricted phone numbers. If the citizen does happen to call dispatch back to talk to you, dispatch will often forward it to the officer’s voicemail. More often than not, dispatch does not have the time to notify the officer a call was forwarded to their voicemail. As a result, response time suffers.

THE SOLUTION

Luckily, Callyo has a new application called 10-21 that enables an officer to use their personal phone and mask their personal number with a new number altogether, thereby protecting the officers’ personal contact information and increasing call back response time. And best of all, it is free!

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