Hundreds attend Spillman Users' Conference for software training, networking opportunities

SALT LAKE CITY, Sept. 29, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Spillman Technologies kicked off its 2015 Users' Conference today as more than 775 attendees from 359 public safety agencies across the nation gathered in Salt Lake City. The annual conference provides Spillman customers with four days of networking and educational opportunities, hands-on workshops, and previews of the latest software innovations.

Spillman President and CEO Lance Clark opened the conference with a state of the company address, highlighting the conference theme: "Unlocking the Power of your Data." Clark also acknowledged Spillman's rapid growth and continued stability, with the addition of 236 new customers since last year's conference and 527 in the last three years. Following Clark's remarks, Spillman R &D Manager Josh Smith highlighted upcoming product releases, including an updated look and new name for Spillman's on-premises system, Spillman Flex. Smith also announced the current development of a new mobile app that will work with the Flex system. Other announced changes included enhanced functionality within Spillman's Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) mapping, jail management (JMS), and records management systems (RMS), and the addition of new field interview and mobile arrest forms.

Captain Richard Phillips took the stage to wrap up the Opening General Session of the conference, where he delivered a keynote address to those in attendance. The retired merchant mariner, who had been captured and held hostage by Somali pirates in 2009, spoke about his experience during the maritime hijacking and of his eventual rescue by U.S. Navy SEALs. His experiences were recounted in his autobiography, A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea, and dramatized in the 2013 film, Captain Phillips.

This year's conference will also feature a private evening performance by the World Classic Rockers, an ensemble group of all-star musicians from some of the greatest rock bands of all time. Members of Journey, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Boston, and more will come together to perform fan favorites like "Born to be Wild," "Sweet Home Alabama," and "Don't Stop Believing" at the Salt Palace Convention Center.

Classes at the 2015 Users' Conference will focus on specific training to fit the needs of every department at an agency. Attendees can choose from more than 100 beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes in 12 different tracks designed to help each agency maximize the investment in their Spillman systems. With a variety of user-taught best practices courses, attendees will also have the opportunity to hear directly from other customers about how they have optimized their Spillman systems. This year's conference will feature a new track of classes focused on Analytics, with presenters such as Command Solutions' Rich Hendricks, representatives from BAIR Analytics, a LexisNexis Company, as well as members of Spillman's Demo and Research & Design teams.

The annual conference will conclude with an awards banquet where Spillman will recognize customers celebrating their 10-, 15-, 20-, 25-year anniversaries with Spillman. Special recognition will be given to the four agencies celebrating 30-year anniversaries with Spillman in 2015. Additionally, the Logan Police Department of Utah earned the Spillman Customer Innovation Award in 2015 for its submission, "Logan City Communication Dispatch Trainee Daily Observation Report (DOR)."

Spillman Technologies serves sheriff's offices, police departments, communication centers, correctional facilities, and fire departments nationwide. Spillman specializes in integrated on-premises and cloud software solutions, including Computer-Aided Dispatch, Records Management Systems, Mobile Data & Field Reporting, Mapping & GIS, Jail Management Systems, Fire, Data Sharing, Personnel & Resources, and Analytics & Intelligence-Led Policing. For more information about Spillman, visit www.spillman.com.