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Cisco IP Interoperability and Collaboration System 2.0 Improves Public Safety and Speeds Incident Response


WEBWIRE

Comprehensive solution for communications interoperability and distributed incident management enhances emergency and routine collaboration

SAN JOSE, Calif. - March 26, 2007 - Cisco today announced the release of Cisco® IP Interoperability Collaboration System 2.0 (IPICS). The Cisco IPICS family of products and applications helps enable personnel within the same or different agencies to communicate across previously isolated radio, IP and non-IP networks. This improves the speed of responsiveness by delivering information to various types of communications devices whether a radio, a telephone, an IP phone, a mobile phone or a PC client. The new offerings are part of Cisco’s vision to use the IP network as a platform to unlock new value from and transform disparate legacy investments to be more collaborative and responsive while preserving customers’ existing investments.

Cisco IPICS 2.0 delivers a new, policy-based approach and support for more devices with “single click” integrated notification and messaging. In addition, Cisco the new IPICS 2.0 server software has a new graphical user interface (GUI) with improved security and ease of management. Also, the Cisco IPICS 2.0 Push-to-talk Management Center (PMC) features replay and playback, new types of channels and an advanced incident management console.

Cisco IPICS 2.0 is a cost-effective, scalable and highly secure system that uses the network as the platform to give public sector agencies and other types of businesses immediate and intelligent Web-based flexible control and resource management to orchestrate resources, media and information. Resources such as radio channels, talk groups and users, can be quickly added and then removed when no longer necessary, allowing graceful escalation and de-escalation based on the incident scope. By utilizing Cisco IPICS 2.0, enterprises can affordably eliminate communication silos among different organizations, disparate push-to-talk radio systems and communication devices. In the past, these varied and unconnected channels wasted valuable response time and potentially endangered lives.

“We chose to deploy Cisco IPICS 2.0 for many significant reasons that vitally impact our citizens,” said Drew Depler, IT Customer Support Manger, Boulder County. “Most importantly, Cisco IPICS is a scalable and comprehensive system that provides a cost-effective manner of achieving radio interoperability between our agencies by using our existing network infrastructure.”

“Cisco IPICS 2.0 allows us to communicate and collaborate much more efficiently than in the past. It’s very simple,” said Charles Pringle, Boulder County Sheriff’s Department. “For both emergencies and routine operations, our staff can now create customized communication templates for standard procedures and activate them with a single click. We can do this via email, paging, short message service (SMS) or a phone call. For example, in case of emergency, the SWAT team could engage in a group discussion with Sheriff’s department commanders and the bomb squad with the click of a button.”

Unlike proprietary solutions designed only for radio interoperability, Cisco IPICS 2.0 is built on open standards. Each agency or jurisdiction locally manages its own communications resources, including networks and devices. Agencies can stipulate which resources they will share with other agencies during emergencies and routine operations, based on governance and local agency policy needs. The ability to share resources across operational views enables simple, scalable, comprehensive communications and interoperability among agencies, departments, or locations.

With Cisco IPICS 2.0, users can choose from several deployment options. The solution can be deployed in security operations or dispatch centers or integrated into mobile command vehicles and tactical communications kits. Agencies and other businesses can connect using IP or non-IP wired, wireless or satellite networks. This makes collaboration between previously disparate groups entirely seamless, allowing workers to proceed rapidly to the incident at hand.



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