RIDGEFIELD, Conn., March 10, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Markland Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB:MRKL) (http://www.marklandtech.com), an integrated homeland security company, announced today that recently released press reports on planned government funded initiatives to deploy new technologies to defend against terrorist threats will provide the company with significant revenue opportunities to accelerate corporate growth.
The Los Angeles Times recently reported that the U.S. government plans to spend at least $7 billion this year alone for high-tech efforts to shore up defenses against terrorist attack using biological, chemical or nuclear weapons. Some of the planned government spending reported:
- The Department of Homeland Security, which was formed last year by combining 22 agencies, would get $1 billion for research in fiscal 2005. One of the department's far-reaching visions for technology is a national sensor system that could monitor the air continuously for pathogens, dangerous chemicals or other public hazards. The sensors would all be linked to central control centers, resembling the military's worldwide surveillance for a missile attack.
- The military is spending $706 million on research to counter weapons of mass destruction this year and another $500 million on buying equipment.
Quoted within the Los Angeles Times article was Dr. Penrose Albright, an assistant secretary for Science and Technology at the Department of Homeland Security: "Science is the big advantage the West has over these people who would throw us back to the Stone Age. We will have a research establishment which is devoted to our priorities to stay ahead of the threat."
Markland Technologies and its subsidiary, Science and Technology Research Inc. (STR), and their proven and reliable chemical detectors and integrated security solutions can play an important role in the plan to thwart terrorism. To date STR has delivered over 1,000 ACADA chemical detector units to the U.S. Navy. The ACADA unit is a flexible chemical detection device, which employs Ion Mobility Spectroscopy (IMS). It is presently designed and utilized to detect all classic nerve and blister agents as well as other chemical warfare agent (CWA) vapors. It can be modified in design to detect other hazardous chemical agents, which may be present in air or liquid state via vapor conversion.
The company announced that it continues to spend on research and development for product improvements and is looking to make additional select corporate acquisitions of highly differentiated technologies and integrated security solutions in the areas of remote sensing and non-lethal weapons.
About Markland Technologies
Markland Technologies, Inc is committed to helping secure America by providing innovative emerging technologies and expert services to meet the country's needs to protect our people, our borders and our infrastructure assets.
The Company is a Board member of the Homeland Security Industries Association (http://www.hsianet.org).
`Forward-Looking Statements'
Investors are cautioned that certain statements contained in this document as well as some statements in periodic press releases and some oral statements of Markland Technologies officials during presentations about Markland Technologies are `forward-looking' statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Act"). Forward-looking statements include statements which are predictive in nature, which depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, which include words such as `expects,' 'anticipates,' 'intends,' 'plans,' 'believes,' 'estimates,' or similar expressions. In addition, any statements concerning future financial performance (including future revenues, earnings or growth rates), ongoing business strategies or prospects, and possible future actions, which may be provided by management, are also forward-looking statements as defined by the Act. Some of the factors that could significantly impact the forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to: insufficient cash flow to continue to fund the development and marketing of the Company's products and technology; a rejection of the Company's products and technologies by the marketplace, and; disputes as to the Company's intellectual property rights. Forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations and projections about future events and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions about Markland Technologies, its products, economic and market factors and the industries in which Markland Technologies does business, among other things. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and Markland Technologies has no specific intention to update these statements. More detailed information about those factors is contained in Markland Technologies filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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More information on Homeland Security issues, including news releases, events and experts available for comment, can be found on the Homeland Security Newsline at: http://www.primezone.com/hs
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