Technical Communications Profile
Technical Communications Corporation engages in the design, development, manufacture, distribution, marketing and sale of communications security devices, systems and services.
The communications solutions provided by the company protect information transmitted through a range of data, video, fax and voice networks. The company’s products have been sold into approximately 115 countries to governments, military agencies, telecommunications carriers, financial institutions and multinational corporations.
The company sells directly to customers, original equipment manufacturers and value-added resellers using its in-house sales force, as well as domestic and international representatives, consultants and distributors. International sales are made primarily through its main office.
Products and Services
The following includes the company’s portfolio of communications security solutions for mission-critical voice, data, fax and video networks for military, government and corporate/industrial applications.
Government Systems
The company’s DSP 9000 and HSE 6000 secure radio product lines offer strategic-level security for voice and data communications sent over high frequency (HF), very high frequency, and ultra high frequency channels. These products provide automated key distribution for security. They are also radio independent as software programmable interfaces allow radio interface levels to be changed without configuring the hardware. Base station, handset and embedded board configurations are available options. All versions interoperate with the company’s HSE 6000 Squad Radio Headset and Telephone Encryptor for cross-network secure voice conferencing. The DSP 9000 base station model also interoperates with the company’s CSD 3324 SE secure telephone system to enable ‘office-to-field’ communications.
The company’s HSE 6000 Squad Radio Headset and Telephone Encryptor is designed for public safety special operations, land mobile radio applications, as well as military applications. With the optional telephone interconnect kit, the HSE 6000 connects to corded handset telephones for secure voice communications and radio-to-telephone conferencing over Voice over IP, digital, and analog telephone networks. It is also interoperable with the DSP 9000 radio security product family, enabling secure voice communications and cross-network conferencing across and between air, land, sea and office.
The Company’s CSD 3324 SE Secure Telephone, Fax and Data system provides strategic-level communications security for voice, fax and data encryption in a telephone package designed for government applications needing high reliability. The product has a fallback mode, which was originally developed for poor HF channels. As a result, secure communications are possible even over poor line conditions. TCC's high-level encryption and automated key distribution system protect sensitive information, and internal storage of 800 keys provides hands-off security.
The company’s CSD 3324 SP telephone and fax system provides integrated secure voice and fax security in a telephone package designed for government and corporate applications. The CSD 3324 SPV secure telephone secures voice communications over the public switched telephone network and interoperates with the CSD 3324 SP system.
Government customers could also utilize the company’s Cipher X family of Cyber Security Appliances to achieve grade network encryption and communications.
The Government Systems product line also includes the company’s DSD 72A-SP Military Bulk Ciphering System, a military system that provides a level of cryptographic security for military data networks operating at approximately 34 million bits per second. The product supports various interfaces and is designed to integrate into existing networks. This product is no longer being marketed. However, the company continues to support an installed base of such equipment in use with its customers, as there remains a demand for spare parts and small network upgrades. Foreign military requirements for the DSD 72A-SP focuses to transition over time to the data encryption systems product line using the Internet Protocol.
Network Security Systems
The company offers network encryption systems with centralized key and device management for Internet protocol (IP), Synchronous Optical Network & Synchronous Digital Hierarchy, and frame relay networks to secure data in transit from local area network to local area network and across wide area networks. Its KEYNET IP Manager is designed to centrally configure and manage a network of encryption appliances for communications and could be used worldwide. The company also offers KEYNET Lite, a version of KEYNET for small networks.
The company supports the industry standard Advanced Encryption Standard 256-bit cryptographic algorithm and could integrate customer-specific national algorithms to meet customer-specific needs. Its encryption systems are designed to overlay onto existing networks without requiring infrastructure changes. Additionally, the Cipher X family offers performance to higher speeds without changing hardware. Upgrades are licensed and made available on-demand via the KEYNET management system. All performance levels interoperate and are designed to have identical functionality.
The Cipher X 7211 network security device is the 100 Mb/s to 1 Gb/s model of the family of TCC Cyber Security Appliances. Cipher X 7211 IP Encryption with KEYNET IP Manager provides strategic-level communications for large global IP networks for point-to-point and multicast applications, such as video conferencing. It offers a combination of flexibility, scalable 1 gigabit per second performance and KEYNET IP Manager. The Cipher X 7211 is a hardware-based, FIPS 140-2 Level 3 designed encryption device.
The Cipher X 7220 network security device is the 10 Gb/s model of the family of TCC Cyber Security Appliances. The Cipher X 7220 is suited for global Ethernet networks with high performance requirements. Its hardware-based layer 2, 3 and 4 encryption engines encrypt and decrypt outbound and inbound traffic at full wire speed.
The Cipher X 7210 network security device is the 100 Mb/s model in the product family suited for applications with low-bandwidth requirements, such as remote offices. Such as the 7220, it is designed to integrate into existing networks and provide encryption and decryption of outbound and inbound traffic at full wire speed.
Secure Office Systems
The CipherTalk 8500 secure mobile phone is designed to provide military-grade encrypted voice and text communications worldwide over Global System for Mobile Communications and Wi-Fi networks. The CipherTalk 8500 IP-based wireless phone is built on a hardened Android smartphone platform. The company also offers a server-based, network management system that provides the customer with total control of network connectivity.
The company’s CSD 4100 executive secure telephone offers strategic-level voice and data security in an executive telephone package. The product provides security features, such as automated key management, authentication, certification and access control. This product is no longer being marketed but the company continues to provide support to existing customers that have installed equipment bases requiring expansion or modification. The company also continues to offer the CSD 3324 SE, its encrypted office telephone that offers voice, fax and radio communications, as part of its Secure Office Systems product line.
Services
The company performs funded research and development and technology development for commercial companies and government agencies under both cost reimbursement and fixed-price contracts. It offers general communications security education for businesses and other users, including military and government entities, as well as product-specific training for its customers. The company also engages in developing and designing custom cryptographic solutions for customers’ voice, data and video communications requirements and integrating such solutions into existing systems. The company has designed embedded secure radio encryption solutions, national algorithms for military data applications, cryptographic modules for National Secure Mode Identification Friend or Foe systems, as well as rocket-borne telemetry encryption modules, and country-unique secure telephone and fax algorithms. In addition, the company has partnered with network and telecommunications equipment providers to add security in various applications.
Research and Development
The company’s research and development costs for the year ended September 25, 2021 were $732,000.
Regulation
All payments to the company for work performed on contracts with agencies of the U.S. government are subject to adjustment upon audit by the U.S. Defense Contract Audit Agency, the U.S. Government Accountability Office, and other agencies. Its security products are subject to export restrictions administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Department of State, which license the export of encryption products, subject to certain technical restrictions
History
Technical Communications Corporation was founded in 1961. The company was incorporated in Massachusetts in 1961.
