Contact Information: Contact: Deb Kline Avaya Media Relations 908-953-6179 klined@avaya.com
Avaya Introduces Public Safety Communications Solutions for Next Generation 911
Upgrades 911 Operations for New Consumer Technologies Using Broadband Networks for Faster, More Effective Emergency Responses
| Source: Avaya Inc.
TAMPA, FL--(Marketwire - June 9, 2008) - Avaya today introduced technologies designed to
address the urgent need to upgrade outdated 911 systems. Avaya Public
Safety Communications Solutions enable 911 centers to adopt the advanced
communications technologies required to handle the growing number and types
of communications coming from consumer technologies and streamline
processes for faster, more effective responses to emergency calls. Avaya
Public Safety Communications help ensure that a call for help will be
answered -- even in the face of broad scale environmental disasters.
"The majority of 911 communications operations are sorely in need of
modernization to function well in today's and tomorrow's communications
environments," said Jeff Robertson, executive director, 911 Industry
Alliance. "While the 911 system has proven to be a success over the past
four decades of its existence, today it stands at an inflection point and
being left behind by technological change. The typical model today is
still one of a small, standalone emergency communications systems using
yesterday's analog technologies."
To help emergency call systems update analog architectures to support
advanced technologies, Avaya has assembled Public Safety Communications
Solutions, integrated, communications software, hardware and services from
Avaya and its ecosystem partners. These solutions deliver a number of
benefits for 911 centers, the people and communities they serve.
Based on highly-resilient IP Telephony, Avaya Public Safety Communications
Solutions make it possible to link multiple centers into municipal, county
or state-wide emergency networks. This expands the pool of public safety
call takers who can field the increasing volume of calls from broadly
diverse devices and technologies people use today. Operators along the
network can manage overflow when call volume supersedes the capacity of
those in one particular location or when one center is physically
inaccessible. With advanced call routing, calls can be directed to the
most local center first with overflow going to other centers. Networked
911 centers can also share advanced applications and technologies and
distribute the cost over several sites, making migration to next generation
911 centers more economically feasible.
Avaya Public Safety Communications Solutions can enable 911 centers to
accept and interact with new forms of communications, including photos,
video, text and instant messaging. Presence technologies can enable a
public safety call taker to quickly tap expertise in other areas -- for
example medical or environmental -- when callers are on the line. In
addition, operators can directly conference landline and cellular calls
with the radios used by first responders, eliminating the delay and
potential for error in relaying information from one communications channel
to another. The solutions provide advanced call management capabilities
which enhance the operation of Intelligent Workstations, the tools used by
the majority public safety call takers to manage incoming emergency calls,
locate the caller, and pass critical information to downstream systems
including Computer Aided Dispatch systems.
Local or state governments can take advantage of existing communications
networks and connect public safety agencies with supporting departments and
functions. For example, a municipal government can extend the
communications network serving administrative and constituent information
or services departments to first responder and 911 operations. In addition,
virtually every 911 center regularly answers calls that are not true,
emergency-related calls. The ability to quickly transfer these calls to
more appropriate areas frees valuable time and resources.
For extra layers of resiliency, redundant servers and locally survivable
processors keep critical functions running through power, network or
equipment outages. The Public Safety Communications solutions include a
"portable PSAP," a fully-equipped, public safety answering position that
can be installed in a vehicle or packed in a rugged container. Emergency
agencies can move operations to safer ground to when evacuations are
required, and connect to any network -- PSTN, cellular, satellite, wifi,
broadband -- as well as linking to state or local agency networks for
direct dialing to colleagues and access to directories, databases.
Flexibility, Security and Speed with Market-leading Technologies, Services
and Partners
Avaya Public Safety Communications Solutions are based on the company's IP
Telephony, Contact Center and Unified Communications applications and
integrated with key emergency response technologies from other vendors.
Avaya works closely with system integrators like IBM to deliver the
advanced technologies and capabilities needed to meet the expanding
challenges of today's world, such as the ability to bridge existing
applications and databases, adaptive open system architecture, and
real-time situational awareness and unified collaboration between agencies.
Avaya Global Services provides implementation and ongoing support and
management services.
A number of Avaya DevConnect members have already been validated for
interoperability, including PlantCML, an EADS North America company; NICE
Systems; and Raytheon's JPS Communications. The integration of Avaya and
PlantCML Intelligent Workstations brings advanced telecommunications and
contact center functionality to the public safety workflow processes. NICE
systems provides secure recording and analytics, while JPS Communications
provides interoperability in situations where public safety agencies could
not otherwise communicate due to the incompatibility of their existing
communications systems.
Avaya Public Safety Communications Solutions: Battle-tested and proven in
the field
Avaya Public Safety Communications Solutions are already supporting a
number of emergency operations ranging from major metropolitan areas like
Washington, D.C.'s Unified Communications Center and Florida's Miami-Dade
Fire-Rescue and Emergency Operations Center, to county networks in areas
such as Galveston, Texas and Dixie County, Fla.
The Galveston County Emergency Communication District (GCECD) fields more
than 193,000 calls each year over eight PSAPs, linked into a single IP
Telephony-based network. The system allows GCECD to relocate dispatchers
to other locations -- even hundreds of miles away -- and log in as if they
were at their own station. The Avaya IP Telephony architecture also helps
the district realize efficiencies in both maintenance and administration.
Since all eight PSAPs are networked, call overflow is directed to
alternative sites from a central administrative position.
GCECD emergency district leaders have Avaya VPN phones to connect to the
network from home or non-county locations by simply plugging into any
broadband connection. Since crisis response and recovery begins at ground
zero, getting the right communications deployed quickly is critical:
Galveston's "portable PSAP" along with its Mobile Command Vehicle utilizes
the same technology deployed at the PSAPs, including IP Telephony, 911
call receipt & radio dispatch and is equipped with wireless antenna that
allows multiple entry points to the county wide emergency network.
Online and broadcast media alert: VNR and B-roll footage available through
The Newsmarket: www.thenewsmarket.com/avaya
Click here for Miami Dade
Fire-Rescue case study or paste into browser:
http://www.avaya.com/master-usa/en-us/resource/assets/casestudies/lb2371.pdf
Click here for
Washington, D.C. Unified Communications Center case study or paste into
browser:
http://www.avaya.com/master-usa/en-us/resource/assets/casestudies/washdccsuc3916.pdf
About Avaya
Avaya delivers Intelligent Communications solutions
that help companies transform their businesses to achieve marketplace
advantage. More than one million businesses worldwide, including more than
90 percent of the FORTUNE 500®, use Avaya solutions for IP telephony, unified communications,
contact centers and
communications-enabled business processes. Avaya
Global Services provide comprehensive service and support for
companies, small to large. For more information, visit the Avaya Web site
at http://www.avaya.com.