The private-equity backed government technology supplier says it has acquired DroneSense, a 10-year-old company with headquarters in Texas.
Terms were not disclosed.
DroneSense software helps police and other public safety professionals operate drone-as-first-responder (DFR) programs.
DFR is on the rise thanks to such factors as increasing federal approval of such flights and the demand for more real-time emergency data, especially as public safety agencies continue to face staffing challenges.
In a statement, Versaterm said DroneSense’s “hardware-agnostic drone management platform” will become part of Versaterm’s computer-aided dispatch and incident command and control offerings.
The combined technologies promise to provide “a more comprehensive picture of every incident,” according to the statement.
“This acquisition moves us closer to a future where drones are as routine as any patrol or fire unit,” said Warren Loomis, Versaterm's president and CEO, in the statement. “Adding DroneSense expands the capabilities we can offer agencies to deploy aerial support as part of response, delivering new ways to visualize complex scenes, respond with greater precision and keep both responders and communities safe.”
DFR programs can not only provide more data without putting emergency responders at risk, but also help to “de-escalate” tense situations, according to Versaterm and other proponents of equipping police and fire personnel with more drones.
As imagined by Versaterm, DFR programs allow specific agencies to keep full ownership and control of their data.
The new platform offered via Versaterm “is compatible with a wide array of drones and third-party integrations and is built on enterprise-grade cybersecurity infrastructure to uphold the highest standards of data protection and privacy,” according to the statement.
This acquisition comes just less than two years after Versaterm said it would work with EagleView to widen access to geospatial data for first responders.
More than a year ago, Versaterm bought Texas-based Integrated Computer Systems (ICS), a supplier of computer-aided dispatch, records management and other tools.
Last October, meanwhile, Flock Safety, which sells license plate readers and other tech, bought drone technology company Aerodome.
