Sep 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Mary Rose Roberts

Solacom Technologies, headquartered in the Montreal suburb of Gatineau, Quebec, unveiled its Guardian software suite that supports conventional and voice-over-IP call handling as well as next-generation 911 applications, said Eric Zander, the company's vice president of business development.

Guardian is a component of the company's emergency services platform that includes a next-generation geo-spatial router, controller and automatic location identification, or ALI, database. It also includes the company's LibertySHIELD EG-200 hardware that supports connections to legacy GPE devices. (GPE is a graphical use interface, or GUI, environment for handheld computers that run on the Linux operating system.)

According to Zander, the software lets managers of public-safety answering points, or PSAPs, identify incoming information from wireless devices. Specifically, it gathers information from 911, administrative, enterprise private branch exchange (PBX), 311, 511, 711 and 211 lines in a unified environment. It also supports third-party computer-aided dispatch (CAD) and mapping interfaces, as well as call-logging recorders for all incoming 911 trunk communications.

Zander said the software interacts with CAD applications as well as radio devices, so operators can be on a conference call with a caller on a radio, at a 911 center or at different first-responder agencies simultaneously. Operators also have the ability to transfer data to separate agencies using a single button and have the ability to handle automatic call distribution.

A GUI provides what the company dubs a call-splash screen that chimes with or without call information. Screens can be personalized based on the operators' preferences, which include displaying selected agencies' labels and information. Other features include display time and date, a distinctive ringing tone per operator and call type. It also supports a profile-based log-in so operators can customize the interface based on their preferences and can access the data either from within the call center or remotely.

It also supports text messaging and video for future 911 applications.

“I'm not sure how ready the 911 marketplace is for the text and video application,” Zander said. “Nonetheless, we're ready for it and looking forward to seeing the technologies in use throughout the U.S.”

The suite is licensed to users through third-party vendors. The suggested retail price is $30,000, Zander said.
www.solacom.com

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