Michael Baker’s GovTech Play: Inside the Alliances Securing 9-1-1’s Future

PITTSBURGH, PA – August 04, 2026 – DATAMARK Technologies, the public safety arm of engineering giant Michael Baker International, has announced a trio of strategic partnerships aimed at fortifying the nation's emergency response infrastructure. By joining forces with indoor mapping specialist geoConvergence, cybersecurity firm OTM Cyber, and Quality Recording Solutions, the company is assembling an integrated ecosystem designed to tackle the most pressing challenges of the Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) transition.

While the announcement highlights immediate benefits for public safety agencies, it also signals a far more significant strategic maneuver. This is a calculated play by Michael Baker International to deepen its moat in the lucrative GovTech sector, moving beyond providing individual services to offering a holistic, end-to-end platform for mission-critical government operations. The move underscores a fundamental shift in the market: the future of public safety technology lies not in siloed solutions, but in deeply integrated, resilient systems.

Addressing the High-Stakes Gaps in NG9-1-1

The nationwide migration from analog, voice-centric 9-1-1 systems to an IP-based NG9-1-1 framework is one of the most significant public infrastructure upgrades in decades. This evolution promises a future where emergency calls are supplemented with rich data like text, images, and precise location coordinates. However, this promise comes with a new set of complex vulnerabilities that legacy systems never faced. DATAMARK's new partnerships are surgically targeted to plug these exact gaps.

The first challenge is location. With over 80% of 9-1-1 calls now originating from mobile devices, often from within complex indoor environments, the old model of address-based location is dangerously obsolete. This is where the partnership with geoConvergence becomes critical. The firm specializes in creating detailed indoor maps using LiDAR and other technologies, addressing the "Z-axis problem"—pinpointing a caller's vertical location within a multi-story building. This isn't just a technical nicety; it's a regulatory mandate driven by legislation like the Ray Baum's Act, which requires "dispatchable location" information, including floor and room number. "Combining DATAMARK Technologies' expertise in GIS and NG9-1-1 solutions with geoConvergence's purpose-built digital twins creates a powerful foundation for delivering accurate, accessible, and actionable spatial information," said Prem Radhakrishnan, CEO and Founder of geoConvergence. This integration aims to turn a raw coordinate into life-saving intelligence for first responders arriving on scene.

The second, and perhaps most menacing, challenge is cybersecurity. The IP-based architecture of NG9-1-1 opens Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) to a host of digital threats, from ransomware attacks that can cripple operations to Telephony Denial of Service (TDoS) attacks designed to overwhelm call centers. Recent industry reports show a disturbing trend of ransomware targeting U.S. emergency call centers specifically. The partnership with OTM Cyber directly confronts this threat. The firm provides specialized, 24/7 security monitoring and incident response tailored to the unique operational realities of emergency communications. "Successful NG9-1-1 deployments depend on more than accurate GIS data or secure networks alone, they require both working together," noted Devin Lukomski, President at OTM Cyber. This collaboration embeds cybersecurity as a core component of the NG9-1-1 infrastructure, rather than an afterthought, safeguarding the very systems communities rely on in moments of crisis.

Finally, the partnership with Quality Recording Solutions addresses the need for comprehensive data management and accountability. NG9-1-1 systems will process not just voice, but text messages, video feeds, and a torrent of location data. Quality Recording Solutions provides the technology to capture, store, and analyze this information securely. For PSAPs, these recordings are vital for quality assurance, dispatcher training, post-incident analysis, and legal compliance, ensuring a complete and verifiable record of every event. By integrating this capability, DATAMARK ensures that the data flowing through its enhanced system is not only secure and accurate but also fully auditable.

Building a Formidable GovTech Ecosystem

These partnerships are more than a simple product enhancement; they represent a key pillar in Michael Baker International's broader strategy to build a dominant GovTech vertical. With over 6,000 employees and a legacy in large-scale engineering projects, the firm is leveraging its scale and expertise to create an integrated suite of digital solutions for government clients. This move positions DATAMARK not as a vendor of GIS software, but as a comprehensive partner for public safety transformation.

This ecosystem approach offers a powerful value proposition to government agencies, which are often resource-strapped and overwhelmed by the complexity of procuring and integrating disparate technologies. By bundling indoor mapping, cybersecurity, and recording with its core GIS and NG9-1-1 location services, DATAMARK simplifies the procurement process and guarantees interoperability. "By bringing together leaders across multiple disciplines within our partner ecosystem, we are making it easier for agencies to access the solutions and services they need to support mission-critical functions," explained Robert Murphy, ENP, Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer at DATAMARK Technologies.

This strategy mirrors a larger trend in enterprise technology, where customers increasingly favor platforms over point solutions. For competitors offering standalone services in GIS, cybersecurity, or recording, this presents a significant challenge. Michael Baker's integrated offering can create a powerful lock-in effect, making it difficult for specialized vendors to compete. The strategy also leverages synergies with Michael Baker's other GovTech companies, such as AstreaX (secure digital identity) and Tidal Basin Group (disaster recovery and grant management software), painting a picture of a firm capable of addressing nearly every facet of modern government operations and crisis response. For institutional investors and market analysts, this signals a clear intent by Michael Baker to capture a significant share of the multi-billion-dollar public safety and GovTech markets, transforming itself from a traditional engineering firm into a full-service technology and consulting powerhouse.

The New Mandate: Integrated Intelligence

Ultimately, the announcement from DATAMARK Technologies reflects a profound shift in the philosophy of public safety. The era of fragmented systems and data silos is coming to a close, replaced by a mandate for integrated intelligence. The effectiveness of an emergency response is no longer measured by the quality of a single piece of technology, but by the seamless flow of accurate, secure, and actionable information across the entire response chain—from the citizen's device to the call-taker's screen to the first responder on the ground.

The success of this integrated model will depend on flawless execution and a continued commitment to open standards that allow for future innovation. However, by assembling this coalition of specialists, DATAMARK Technologies and its parent, Michael Baker International, are making a bold statement about the future of emergency services. They are betting that in the high-stakes world of public safety, the most valuable asset is not just data, but the intelligence derived from connecting it all together. This strategic alignment is designed to ensure that when a critical decision needs to be made, telecommunicators and emergency responders have the most dependable and complete information possible.