Utimaco, a leading global provider of cybersecurity and compliance solutions, announced the acquisition of Celltick. The latter is a global leader in Public Warning Systems (PWS), Mass Notification Systems (MNS), and the world’s largest CBC (Cell Broadcast Center) provider. With a local presence in Mumbai, Utimaco will now strive to introduce its Public Warning Systems in India through partnerships with telecom operators and state governments to broadcast alerts and safety messages in real time to subscribers’ mobile phones.
Recent natural disasters, health crises and military conflicts have put a spotlight on the need for an efficient PWS, which allows public authorities to quickly alert the population and let them know of an ongoing crisis or imminent threat. Situations like the gas leak in Vizag, floods in Bangalore, lightning strikes across several states, or a Tsunami alert for coastal regions, are strong cases that need a PWS in India.
With over a billion telecom subscribers in India as of June 2022, the implementation of broadcast PWS systems through phones can significantly improve disaster management practices and also safeguard human lives during natural and man-made disasters.
Through the acquisition, Celltick’s expertise and leading technology and Utimaco’s strong international network in the telecommunications, governmental, and enterprise sectors, will enable the company to be a market leader with compelling offerings for Indian governments and customers in telecommunications and enterprise markets.
The MAGEN (Mass Alert Geo Emergency Notification) System is the leading cell broadcast solution for PWS and is already deployed in multiple countries around the globe and its MAGEN CBC has been adopted by more than 70 mobile network operators worldwide. Recent references include PWS projects by the Govt of Denmark, Govt. of Qatar, and the Israel Defence Forces as well as the deployed national Cell Broadcast-based PWS for the Govt of Ukraine, to help protect the civilian population in the war in Ukraine. Currently, the company is in advanced stages of partnership with state governments in India.
Deval Sheth, Managing Director of Utimaco for the Asia Pacific region said, “Celltick has been a market leader in developing broadcast based solutions and has a highly skilled team that ensures continuous innovation. We are excited to integrate their ease-to-deploy solutions such as phone based broadcast PWS in the Indian market into our security solution portfolio. Always at the forefront of bringing the best solutions to telecommunications and enterprise partners, Utimaco is now looking to make a difference with a solution that can bring large scale impact on human lives and reduce the socio-economic impact of disasters and calamities being witnessed in the country.”
On the announcement of the acquisition, Ronen Daniel, co-founder and CEO of Celltick said, “We are proud and honoured to be part of Utimaco. We have been focusing since inception on developing and marketing top-notch PWS and MNS products for governments, mobile network operators and enterprises. The chemistry with Utimaco’s team was very clear at first sight, and we are looking forward to joining forces and further accelerating Utimaco’s growth”.
