https://urgentcomm.com/wp-content/themes/ucm_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Multimedia
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Galleries
    • IWCE’s Video Showcase
    • Product Guides
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • Commentary
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • All Things IWCE
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • IWCE
    • Conference
    • Special Events
    • Exhibitor Listings
    • Premier Partners
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Register for IWCE
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
    • Cookie Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • Mission Critical Technologies
    • TU-Auto
  • In the field
    • Back
    • In the field
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Internet of Things
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Call Center/Command
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Network Tech
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Operations
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Regulations
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • Organizations
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
Urgent Communications
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Omdia Crit Comms Circle Podcast
    • Galleries
    • IWCE’s Video Showcase
    • Product Guides
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • All Things IWCE
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • UC eZines
    • Sponsored content
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • Conference
    • Why Attend
    • Exhibitor Listing
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Join the Event Mailing List
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • TU-Auto
  • newsletter
  • In the field
    • Back
    • Internet of Things
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Cybersecurity
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
acc.com

Wireless Networks


Best of both worlds

Best of both worlds

Hybrid emergency mass-notification systems offer the security and control of on-premise systems and the cost savings of hosted services.
  • Written by Urgent Communications Administrator
  • 1st December 2010

Examine any emergency, natural or manmade, and more often than not the success of the response correlates directly to the timeliness and effectiveness of the alerting system in place at the time. From an earthquake to a terrorist attack, alerting individuals and groups that are in danger quickly and reliably is the mission of emergency management and preparedness directors.

Network-centric mass notification currently represents the state of the art in emergency-alert technology. It leverages the ubiquitous Internet Protocol (IP) network and transforms an organization’s existing IP network and its connected devices into a rapid and pervasive emergency-notification system. A net-centric unified notification system can reach people through multiple redundant channels in minutes — with detailed information for a safe course of action. Additionally, emergency managers can provide detailed instructions for action to all personnel and receive feedback to ensure a safe response — a capability absent on traditional passive-alert systems.

However, there are multiple deployment scenarios to consider when it comes to implementing a network-centric, emergency mass-notification technology. So the question then becomes, what constitutes the best way to deploy such systems? An examination of on-premise, hosted-service and hybrid approaches will shed light on the deployment options.

An on-premise solution places the mass-notification platform behind the customer’s firewall. Data is protected and vital lists, such as Active Directory, can be used to update alert recipients’ contact information, ensuring that accurate data is available when needed.

On-premise emergency-notification solutions enable enterprises to alert personnel quickly, effectively and securely via IP-connected personal devices such as computers, telephones and cell phones. Additionally, with an on-premise system, emergency mass-notification solutions readily can be integrated with legacy mass-notification devices such as Giant Voice, private branch exchange, fire alarms, physical security sensors and other traditional alerting systems.

Another approach to consider for on-demand mass-notification alerts is “software as a service,” or SaaS. Available from a remote hosting facility, this service exists in the “cloud” and offers economies of scale as organizations can leverage mass-notification solutions with committed capacity without taxing local communication services. This method also speeds deployment and lowers costs as there is no additional equipment to install.

An added benefit of this approach is that it allows organizations to provision services in the cloud when demand on their internal computing resources exceeds capability. However, a drawback of this method is that local integration is not possible, so there is no connecting with Active Directory or other on-premise services.

The cloud option is viable for emergency mass-notification deployments by public safety and national security organizations, which constantly are searching for ways to deliver the best safety and security services while reducing costs. Cloud provisioning provides savings in addition to those mentioned previously because emergency-management agencies can reduce the number of servers they need. This reduces operational costs related to server provisioning and power consumption. Also, fewer servers means that fewer IT professionals are needed to keep them running, which further reduces operations costs.

Another valuable benefit of the cloud is risk mitigation for business continuity and disaster recovery. When systems are down at an organization’s headquarters, cloud deployment enables emergency managers to access the system from any IP-connected device, as long as the managers have the proper security authorization.

An innovative approach to deploying mass-notification systems is the hybrid solution, which leverages an on-premise system that taps into cloud-provisioned, distributed communications services for notification delivery.

With an off-site hosted notification delivery system (SaaS, cloud provisioned) for telephony, local resources are not stretched because the delivery resources are external. Redundancy is built into the architecture of the distributed notification-delivery systems, so emergency managers have access to communications when other systems are down on site. This failover capability enables organizations to leverage out-of-enterprise capacity and offers redundancy and continuity of operations for emergency alerting.

At the same time, the sensitivity of the information (such as alert scenarios, recipient lists and contact details) is not compromised because it resides on premise, protected behind the customer’s firewall. The customer is in full control; only the data that is needed to deliver a certain alert is securely transmitted to the distributed communication services that will make the phone calls. This data is transient only — no sensitive data is stored remotely in a persistent manner. A local on-premise system also can tap into local notification-delivery systems, such as outdoor and indoor speaker systems and digital displays.

A hybrid deployment enables organizations to employ multiple models for their critical emergency-alerting needs, providing a mass-notification solution deployment tailored to individual organization needs. This approach offers flexible deployment models without compromising data security, sensitivity and privacy.

Further, the hybrid model enables customers to lower capital investments with all the features and functionality necessary for effective mass notification, while addressing security and network topology concerns. By enabling customers to lower capital investments, this approach removes the barrier to entry for customers and sets the standard for network-centric mass-notification deployment.

Aviv Siegel is chief technology officer for emergency mass-notification solutions provider AtHoc in San Mateo, Calif.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

On-premise. Entire system is deployed behind the firewall; it securely integrates with user directory databases and internal resources.

Hosted Available as a service from a remote hosting facility; it speeds deployment and eliminates the need for on-site hardware.

Hybrid. Application software is installed locally with secure access to a remote communications center that handles mass telephony dialing and text messaging without taxing local telephony resources.

Related Stories

  • Mass-notification alerts improve situational awareness
  • Free flow
Tags: Wireless Networks

Most Recent


  • AT&T wireless growth keyed by FirstNet—now provides 24,000 agencies with 4.4 million connections
    AT&T this week reported that FirstNet ended 2022 supporting more than 24,000 public-safety agencies with “about” 4.4 million connections, including 377,000 connections that were added during the last three months of 2022—a total that represents more than half of the carrier’s post-paid wireless growth for the quarter. AT&T officials released these figures in conjunction with […]
  • AT&T FirstNet unleashes robotic dogs for emergency services
    AT&T is releasing robotic hounds from Ghost Robotics as part of the service provider’s FirstNet emergency responder service. In a blog, AT&T VP Lance Spencer explained that the robotic dogs will be connected to AT&T’s network and deployed for public safety, defense, federal and state agencies, local police and fire departments, and commercial customers. “Network-connected robotic dogs can deliver a […]
  • How 5G is making cities safer, smarter, and more efficient
    It’s a scenario we’ve all experienced: an ambulance with a blaring siren racing against time to get a person in medical distress to a hospital through traffic. What we don’t see is 5G connectivity enabling paramedics to communicate with hospital staff via video conference and coordinate care in real-time before arriving at the emergency room. […]
  • MCPTT interworking for critical communications
    The goal of mission-critical communication systems is to minimize the response time of first responders in emergency situations across several agencies. A dedicated push-to-talk button offers an efficient mechanism that simplifies the speaker-to-listener process to a minimum. This feature is useful when coordinating large group activities and to enable the instant flow of tactical status […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

To leave a comment login with your Urgent Comms account:

Log in with your Urgent Comms account

Or alternatively provide your name, email address below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • The battle over connected cars drags on
  • UK officials revamp ESN plans again, target Airwave-to-LTE transition for end of 2026
  • PSCR: Dereck Orr highlights features of June 21-24 virtual event
  • FirstNet buildout on pace for March 2023 completion, AT&T official says

Commentary


How 5G is making cities safer, smarter, and more efficient

26th January 2023

3GPP moves Release 18 freeze date to March 2024

18th January 2023

Do smart cities make safer cities?

  • 1
6th January 2023
view all

Events


UC Ezines


IWCE 2019 Wrap Up

13th May 2019
view all

Twitter


UrgentComm

AT&T wireless growth keyed by FirstNet—now provides 24,000 agencies with 4.4 million connections dlvr.it/ShY5qH

27th January 2023
UrgentComm

Report: Remote work causing offices to empty, but walkable cities still in high demand dlvr.it/ShXM7Z

27th January 2023
UrgentComm

AT&T FirstNet unleashes robotic dogs for emergency services dlvr.it/ShW7p8

27th January 2023
UrgentComm

Federal agencies infested by cyberattackers via legit remote-management systems dlvr.it/ShVhn3

26th January 2023
UrgentComm

How 5G is making cities safer, smarter, and more efficient dlvr.it/ShVS1h

26th January 2023
UrgentComm

MCPTT interworking for critical communications dlvr.it/ShTm3P

26th January 2023
UrgentComm

Self-driving cars present terrorism risk, FBI director says dlvr.it/ShTTHx

26th January 2023
UrgentComm

UK Home Office officially will cut ESN ties with Motorola Solutions in December dlvr.it/ShNjfN

24th January 2023

Newsletter

Sign up for UrgentComm’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about Communications and Technology.

Expert Commentary

Learn from experts about the latest technology in automation, machine-learning, big data and cybersecurity.

Business Media

Find the latest videos and media from the market leaders.

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital and print audiences? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • American City & County
  • IWCE
  • Light Reading
  • IOT World Today
  • Mission Critical Technologies
  • TU-Auto

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Events
  • Careers

FOLLOW Urgent Comms ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.