Developing Reliable Emergency Dispatch for VoIP Phones

[cablewithaview]

Emergency calls placed using Voice over IP (VOIP) telephone services can be properly located, based on the geographic location of the call, says a leading Canadian communications equipment manufacturer.

Nova Scotia-based Pantel International Inc., specializing in console and control systems for police, fire, and ambulance agencies, and IPextreme Inc. have jointly established a strategic development initiative addressing the problem of automatic location of 911 emergency calls within an Internet protocol (IP) telephone network built on a ColdFire microprocessor platform.

Currently, emergency calls placed using VOIP services are not automatically dispatched to the physical location of the call, but rather to the address listed on the caller's account. The ELI is an innovative IP appliance that will enable the dispatch center to immediately identify the physical location of the call correctly, thus ensuring that first responders are directed to the proper location.

"With the emergence of VOIP telephone services, it is vital that basic emergency services provided through traditional telephone networks be transferred to this new method of communications," said Larry Hicks, technical director of Pantel. "With Pantel's extensive experience in providing essential dispatch communications for public safety agencies, we are ideally positioned to help bridge the gap from conventional phone services to emerging technologies, such as VOIP."

"The technology that Pantel is developing is vital to first responders in an emergency situation where there is little room for error," says Warren Savage, CEO of IPextreme. "This is why high quality and proven reliability were key factors in the selection of the ColdFire platform to be used in development of ELI. Given ColdFire's solid track record and proven architecture, it was a natural fit for this critical public safety application."

Pantel has been selected by the concept's originator, VoIP Solutions of Halifax, Nova Scotia, to provide engineering and manufacturing expertise. Pantel's experience in public safety communications, teamed with IPextreme's rich semiconductor intellectual property portfolio and specialized ASIC design capabilities, will ensure the reliability of the ELI.

Pantel is a leading Canadian developer and manufacturer of radio equipment, specializing in console and control systems for mobile radio and advanced telephony applications.

IPextreme licenses famous semiconductor IP (intellectual property) and methodologies developed by large semiconductor companies to chip designers worldwide. The company has offices in Campbell, California; Munich, Germany; and Tokyo, Japan with representatives in China, India, Israel, Korea and Taiwan.


mediacastermagazine.com - Mediacaster - 5/16/2008