Contact Information: Media Relations Deb Kline 908 953 6179 klined@avaya.com
Avaya Solution Helps Nellis and Creech Air Force Bases Ensure the Continuity of Mission-Critical Operations
Government-Certified Avaya IP Telephony Software Delivers Survivable Communications to Support Growing Operations
| Source: Avaya Inc.
BASKING RIDGE, NJ--(Marketwire - October 15, 2008) - A U.S. government-certified IP telephony
solution from Avaya Inc., a leading global provider of business
communications applications, systems and services, is helping both Nellis
and Creech Air Force Bases ensure communications continuity for
mission-critical operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and other hotspots around
the globe.
Nellis Air Force Base is home of the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center, which
is responsible for advanced combat training, tactics development and
operational testing to support troops in the field. Approximately 50 miles
away, Creech Air Force Base is home of the "Predator" Umanned Aerial
Vehicle (UAV) Project -- a remotely piloted reconnaissance plane routinely
used in combat settings. Reflecting the importance of their mission,
Creech AFB has a significant number of construction projects underway to
support the UAV mission and has seen a population that has soared to more
than 2,000 in the past four years. Both sites are now linked by a
survivable Avaya communication network.
"Our objective was to move to a communications network that would support
continued growth at both locations and eliminate any single point of
failure," said Capt. Mike Rood, Operations Flight Commander for the 99th
Communications Squadron. "It was especially important for us to have an
alternate communication route between the two bases to support
mission-critical traffic."
The Avaya solution for Nellis and Creech is based on Avaya Communication
Manager IP telephony software running on a series of high-reliability Avaya
servers and gateways. All software and hardware implemented in the
solution has been certified for security and interoperability by the U.S.
Department of Defense (DoD) Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) Joint
Interoperability Test Command (JITC). The JITC is the DoD's facility for
evaluating the interoperability and information assurance of National
Security Systems (NSS) and Information Technology (IT) systems. The JITC
conducts testing of information, communications, and intelligence hardware
and software systems and components to ensure products meet requirements as
mandated by DoD regulations.
With Avaya Communication Manager, the bases have converged voice and data
transmission trunks and can take advantage of the software's automatic
failover features. In the event of a disruption in the main transmission
line, Avaya's software instantly and automatically re-routes calls without
disrupting conversations. In addition, an Avaya gateway provides Creech
Air Force Base with "survivability" so it continues to have access to
communications in the event of a failure in the network or the host systems
housed at Nellis.
"We've already had to exercise the failover capabilities and they worked as
advertised," Rood said. "Within two months of our initial installation, a
cable was cut by a construction crew working in the area, and no one at
Creech knew. Voice traffic was rerouted instantly across our microwave
link."
For maximum security, Avaya's software not only encrypts voice
conversations, but also interoperates with secure telephone equipment used
by government organizations.
Rood said implementation of Avaya's software and the use of IP trunking are
the first steps in an evolution to a fully converged voice and data
infrastructure -- reducing hardware and maintenance costs, simplifying
administration and providing a powerful new platform for enterprise
applications.
"Having a flexible communications network gives us an easy way to support
ongoing growth and change and opens the door to new smart applications,"
Rood said. "For example, we now can explore adding new call center
capabilities at the base hospital for improved service to Airman and their
families."
The work at Creech and Nellis Air Force Bases was performed by Avaya as a
subcontractor to Lockheed-Martin, prime contractor for logistics and
support of the Predator project.
Background on the Government-Certified Avaya IP Telephony Software Used by
Nellis and Creech Air Force Bases
The Avaya Communication Manager (Release 4.0) IP telephony software used by
Nellis and Creech Air Force Bases is certified by the Defense Information
Systems Agency's Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC) to meet
standards established in the PBX2, PBX1 and the more rigorous "Small End
Office" (SMEO) categories. These government classifications refer to
specific military and security functions required by most U.S. military
sites. To support critical command and control missions, the SMEO category
requires 99.999 percent reliability, duplicate processors and no single
point of failure.
Avaya received its first certification for Communication Manager IP
telephony software in 2004 -- the first IP telephony solution in the
industry to be JITC-certified in key categories for U.S. military command
and control applications worldwide. Avaya Communication Manager
incorporates the most comprehensive security features in the marketplace,
including Multilevel Precedence and Preemption (MLPP). MLPP allows key
personnel to override other system traffic in times of emergency to put the
most critical calls on the network first. In addition, advanced encryption
algorithms protect both IP voice conversations and signaling information.
Avaya has added encryption, MLPP and other military features to its
commercially available IP telephony software, allowing today's businesses
to take advantage of the same rigorous communications capabilities
available to the government.
About Avaya and Avaya Federal Solutions
Avaya delivers Intelligent Communications solutions that help companies
transform their businesses to achieve marketplace advantage. More than 1
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 provides comprehensive service and support for companies, small to
large. For more information visit the Avaya Web site: http://www.avaya.com.
Avaya Federal Solutions is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Avaya focused on
sales, support and services to the U.S. Federal government.