the
homeland security initiatives of U.S. Federal, state and local
governments. They will be demonstrated here this week during
the E-Gov 2002 conference at the Washington Convention Center
(Booth 824).
The five solutions include a mobile communication network,
emergency notification systems, tools to prioritize emergency
calls, speech-based security solutions and emergency assessment
services.
"Communications is at the heart of
government security initiatives and affects not only the ability
to detect potential security threats, but also to quickly
respond and recover," said Bob Fortna, president of Avaya's
Government Solutions business.
Avaya Mobile Communication Network
The Avaya Mobile Communication Network features the same high-tech
communications capabilities used in sophisticated office settings
— from Internet telephony to wireless networking —
packaged in a rugged, portable case that can be set up in
minutes. The result is state-of-the-art voice and data connectivity
anytime, anywhere.
The basic Avaya Mobile Communication Network
includes: an Avaya IP600 Internet Protocol Communications
Server to provide Internet telephony over desk phones or PC-based
Softphones; an Avaya P333R Multiservice Switch to provide
a secure, local area network for PCs, servers, printers, IP
telephony and multimedia connectivity; an Avaya Wireless Access
Point-3 for communications on the move; analog trunks and
station ports for STU-III (a secure government voice communications
standard) and fax/modem requirements; and Avaya Virtual Private
Network (VPN) Service Units for secure voice and data connectivity
and remote access.
The U.S. Marine Corps Central Command is
using the Avaya Mobile Communication Network to provide voice
and data communications for its "Operation Enduring Freedom"
field headquarters in Afghanistan.
Avaya Emergency Notification Solutions
To enable timely communication in the event of an emergency,
Avaya has created a series of Emergency Notification Solutions
that can be used to contact groups of people quickly and automatically
by pager, handheld device, Email or phone.
Based on Avaya Interactive Voice Response
and messaging solutions, notification systems are available
on both Avaya Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and Microsoft
Windows/NT platforms. A range of functionalities is available
— including notification based on defined scenarios
and searching functions to track team members across a series
of contact numbers until they are found.
With the addition of Avaya MultiVantage™
Software, Media Servers and Media Gateways, the systems can
be used for building-wide alerts or to initiate outbound calls
with information or instructions to the general public.
In conjunction with its Emergency Notification
offers, Avaya today announced that DCC (Dialogics Communications
Corporation), a third-party software application developer
and leading provider of emergency notification solutions,
has joined the Avaya Developer Connection program and has
agreed to optimize its solutions for interoperability with
Avaya hardware and software. The Avaya DeveloperConnection
Program provides sales and marketing support and interoperability
testing for complementary technology solution providers.
More than 1300 customers are currently using
DCC's high-speed notification software — including federal,
state and local government organizations.
Avaya MultiVantage™ Software
with Prioritized Communications
Emergencies can place extraordinary demands on communications
systems. To make certain important calls get through even
when networks are stretched to the limit, Avaya MultiVantage
Software with Prioritized Communications capabilities extends
to other government customers the same MultiLevel Precedence
and Preemption (MLPP) features Avaya developed for the Defense
Switched Network.
Prioritized communications software allows
the government to prioritize calls on its communications servers,
identifying individuals or groups who will be given priority
access to trunks when extraordinary traffic demands may tie
up network facilities. These capabilities are currently available
to Avaya customers running Avaya Call Processing (ACP) software
on DEFINITY® servers and will be available more broadly
through Avaya MultiVantage Software in the 4th quarter of
the year.
Avaya was the first vendor in the market
to have its MLPP capability certified by the Defense Information
Systems Agency's Joint Interoperability Test Center for small
end office applications — a government classification
that applies to specific functionality required by most U.S.
Military sites. A number of military bases around the globe
now use Avaya communication servers with priority-based emergency
communications capabilities.
Avaya Speech-Based Security Solutions
Through its relationships with industry-leading speech recognition
vendors Nuance and SpeechWorks International, Inc., Avaya
is delivering security solutions based on speaker verification
software that can be used to authenticate identity and provide
controlled access to networks and restricted locations. Both
Nuance and SpeechWorks are Premier members of the Avaya DeveloperConnection
program, allowing Avaya to package a total solution to help
government agencies meet their strict security requirements.
In contrast to biometric systems that can
require special equipment or scanning devices at each security
site, Avaya's speech-based solution is based on a centralized
application and can be accessed through existing telephone
sets from virtually anywhere a voice signal can be transmitted.
When coupled with passwords and PIN numbers, the security
achieved with speaker verification systems can be comparable
to that of other biometric measures (finger print, retinal
scan, facial recognition, etc.).
Avaya Network Emergency Preparedness
Assessment
Avaya's Network Consulting Services team has created a services
solution to help government agencies find gaps in the emergency
capabilities of their networks, develop contingency plans
and implement fixes.
Though tailored for each customer, typical
network assessments include: an inventory of networked devices
and traffic flow; an evaluation of network resiliency, monitoring
capability, backup systems and mission-critical applications;
an assessment of network downtime; "what-if" scenarios
to simulate outages or security breaches and to spot potential
vulnerabilities; and a detailed report of recommended next
steps.
Speaking at E-Gov
In addition to its exhibit at E-Gov 2002, Avaya's Scott Hemmig,
director, Government Market Segment, will speak at 10:30 a.m.
Wednesday in Lincoln Hall at the Washington Convention Center
on "Homeland Security Using 21st Century Technology."
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