July 25, 2007 -- CommScope, Inc. has announced the results of a collaborative venture with IPcelerate, a provider of advanced Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) products and technologies. The companies have developed a security/public safety application for CommScope's Systimax iPatch Real-Time Infrastructure Management System.
Joining efforts as Cisco technology partners, the two companies announced that they have integrated their systems to create an emergency notification system for a large Dallas-based corporation. To comply with federal guidelines, the system's design must provide the exact physical location of any emergency phone call from within its network - not a simple task when working with VoIP phones that can be easily transferred from office to office, notes the companies.
Traditionally, locating a call from a VoIP phone meant relying on a database that was perhaps out of date or incorrect due to manual updates. The new system, provided through the collaborative partnership, provides the physical location of the phone call as displayed on the telephone set used by a company's security personnel.
"Working with our technology partners is always an exciting experience, and often our partnerships lead to the development of great solutions," comments Mark Peterson, senior vice president, global marketing, of CommScope's Enterprise Division. "In this case, we implemented qualities from both systems to create a new feature for the client that integrates seamlessly with Cisco's software and telephone sets. We look forward to demonstrating the results of our collaboration for other Cisco technology partners and customers."
According to a press release, the new system utilizes IPcelerate's software, IPsession, which complements Cisco Call Manager and uses MAC addresses along with other identifiers to recognize the specific VoIP phones connected to the network. In addition, the system utilizes the Systimax iPatch Real-Time Infrastructure Management System, which is used to document and maintain, in real-time, all physical layer connectivity information, including the physical location of networked devices within that network. This capability allows security personnel to determine which device is making the call and exactly where in the building that device is connected, enabling security officers to respond more quickly in an emergency situation.
The integrated solution has been successfully implemented and tested. According to Peterson, security personnel were impressed during the testing phases when an employee inadvertently dialed 911 and the phone promptly displayed the physical location of the call.
"We're very pleased that the new system works so well for the client," remarks Valerie Corniello, vice president of sales for IPcelerate. "Working with another technology partner to raise the safety level for our customers is a truly rewarding experience."