Total Alert Systems Blog

DTA Meets Nations NGB and ANG Personnel at NGB JC41 2011

howard — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 18:04:00 GMT

Desktop Alert Inc. Appoints General Gary Harber, USA (Ret.) to Its Strategic Advisory Board

howard — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 21:53:00 GMT

Desktop Alert Inc. Appoints General Gary Harber, USA (Ret.) to Its Strategic Advisory Board.

General Gary Harber (Ret.) Former NATO Northern Regional Wartime Construction Manager Joins Desktop Alert Strategic Advisory Board Press Release

Meeting the Need in Seconds, Not Minutes

howard — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 23:44:00 GMT

In moments of actual crisis, such as the tragic shootings at Fort Hood, what’s needed is a system that allows people to hit a panic button. But what are even the most highly trained emergency management personnel to do – if -- they have to simultaneously help the injured and also alert those in the vicinity of the crisis that they may be in danger too? An even more likely scenario is that a civilian may find him or herself in such a situation. Where is a person without any emergency management training to turn at a time like this? When seconds count and untrained people are involved, how can we provide a system that allows the innocent to ask for help, while also unwittingly becoming first responders themselves? The answer lies within a state-of-the-art device known as an Emergency Display Unit (EDU), provided by Total Alert Systems. (http://www.buildingalert.net/)

Organizations that already have a mass notification system in place certainly have an advantage should such a scenario present itself. According to the Department of Defense, in a document titled Design and O&M: Mass Notification Systems – UFC 4-021-01, a Mass Notification System (MNS) is described as:

A system that provides real-time information to all building occupants or personnel in the immediate vicinity of the building during emergency situations.

But picture the chaos that is likely to surround a pre-meditated active shooter attack. Do people have time to look at their phones for an SMS alert? Will they be at their desk to receive a workstation alert? There’s a good chance that the answer to both of these questions is an unfortunate “no.” If these individuals are not in the right place to receive a mass notification alert, but are instead in the vicinity of an attack as it unfolds, traditional mass notification systems will not be as effective. Additionally, mass notification systems currently in place, as valuable as they are, do not typically provide real time information exchange capabilities, but try to imagine just how valuable real time information would be during an emergency? Unfortunately, people involved in these incidents cannot interact with a PA or Giant Voice system, or a Digital Sign, receiving instructions on where to go or what to do.

In the aforementioned DoD document, this very situation is addressed:

Mass notification provides real-time information and instructions to people in a building area, site or DOD installation using intelligible voice communications along with visible signs, text and graphics, and possibly including tactile or other communication methods. MNS are intended to protect life by indicating the existence of an emergency situation and instructing people of the necessary and appropriate response and action.

So, how many MNS systems currently on the market today allow people in emergencies two-way communication with voice, video, graphics and tactile (touch) interactivity? There’s only one – the Emergency Display Unit by Total Alert Systems. The EDU allows an individual in an emergency to run up to the unit, hit a panic button, and be connected via a live two-way video to a command center operator. The person using the EDU can then receive instructions on safety while also informing the command center with facts about the unfolding emergency situation.

After the tragic shooting at Fort Hood in 2009, the DoD commissioned an independent review board and tasked them with the job of identifying and recommending solutions in relation to any possible security deficiencies related to the Fort Hood incident Secretary Gates instructed the review board to document their findings and report back to him so that he could utilize their information and recommendations to outline new safety measures for the DoD – in an effort to be proactive about how the DoD should respond to emergency situations like the event at Fort Hood.

The panel did in fact deliver their report with recommendations to the DoD on January 15^th,2011 with the report titled “Protecting the Force - Lessons from Fort Hood.”

An excerpt of the report reads:

On November 5, 2009, a gunman opened fire at the Soldier Readiness Center at Fort Hood, Texas. Thirteen people were killed and 43 others were wounded or injured....As so often happens in our military, lessons already learned have led to a well-developed plan to care for the victims and families involved. The tragedy, however, raised questions about the degree to which the entire Department is prepared for similar incidents in the future--especially multiple, simultaneous incidents. Following the shooting, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates established the Department of Defense Independent Review Related to Fort Hood, and asked that we lead the effort.

On January 18^th after reviewing the independent report findings and recommendations, Secretary Gates published the DoD Memo “Final Recommendations of the Fort Hood Follow-on Review” In this memo; Secretary Gates laid out the DoD strategies for all DoD sites, in relation to Mass Notification Warning Systems (MNWS):

· Locations should study and advance the procurement and deployment of state-of-the-art Mass Notification and Warning Systems (MNWS) and incorporate these technologies into emergency response plans.

· MNWS has four elements: (1) Giant Voice for outdoor areas; (2) Indoor Voice for indoor facilities; (3) Telephone Alert System for phone call/text alerts; and (4) Software Alert.

· Each Service should determine the combination of elements most appropriate to meet FOC requirements for mass notification.

· To meet FOC, MNWS must notify all installation personnel within ten minutes of incident verification.

· The Secretary places a high priority on this IEM program…

Armed with the information provided from the report “Final Recommendations of the Fort Hood Follow-on Review” from Secretary Gates, Fort Hood conducted a thorough evaluation/vetting process of all qualified enterprise-level Department of Defense Mass Notification vendors and selected a TotalAlert Systems product along with the EDU, realizing the EDU met the criteria of the DoD definition for a Mass Notification System, as well as meeting or exceeding the requirements of the SECDEF memo. TotalAlert Systems and the EDU stand-alone in the industry as the sole providers of the device that answers the unmet need for a robust, real time, interactive and tactile Emergency Display Unit for use in emergency situations providing assistance in seconds, not minutes.

By Dan Ryan, MBA, PMP

Director of Operations

http://www.totalalertsystems.net/

http://www.buildingalert.net/

Cited Information

Design and O&M: Mass Notification Systems – UFC 4-021-01

http://www.wbdg.org/ccb/DOD/UFC/ufc_4_021_01.pdf

Protecting the Force: Lessons Learned from Fort Hood

http://www.defense.gov/pubs/pdfs/DOD-ProtectingTheForce-Web_Security_HR_13jan10.pdf

Fort Hood - Recommendations from DoD Independent Review 083010

http://www.defense.gov/news/d20100820FortHoodFollowon.pdf

Total Alerting – New Weapon for Information Warfare

howard — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 22:18:00 GMT

Two people walk down the street. A mugger robs one; the other walks home, safe from the very near and possible danger. What is the difference? Attackers always look for the softer, easier target. The person who communicates preparedness and an ability to respond quickly and decisively always represents the more formidable deterrent.

The same dynamic affects modern-day organizations: military bases, multi-national companies, government and university campuses that are vigilant, prepared and ready to respond are the ones that deter and possibly even prevent attack. However, if an incident does occur-and the threat could be a lone man with a weapon or a nuclear, biological or chemical attack—the impacted emergency response center is instantly catapulted into a pressure cooker of activity where time is the most precious commodity.

In a crisis situation, even seconds can be critical. A quick response to a natural disaster or man-made emergency can save lives, in some cases possibly hundreds or even thousands. Speed and accurate delivery of key information to affected individuals with receipt confirmation are two ‘must have’ capabilities that are needed the instant a crisis strikes.

Such systems must be ready to deploy and easy to implement because crisis response controllers will be busy dealing with the emergency. Valuable time cannot be squandered remembering how a complex mass notification system works because the focus should be on assessing the scene and determining what happened, casualties if any and the presence of radiological, biological, chemical or other dangerous agents. Resources and possible remediation need to be determined…the list of situational questions that need answers goes on and gets more complex as an emergency unfolds and as controllers strive to obtain as clear a status picture as possible. As we saw recently in Japan, incorrect initial assessments can lead to serious and life-threatening issues that are only evident once the crisis is under control.

The best way to ensure that emergency responders are focused on mitigating the emergency is to separate the communication and information alert function from critical personnel tasks. Current mass notification systems (MNS) can be entirely computer based, freeing up essential individuals to focus on the first priority task of completing an initial incident assessment as fully and as rapidly as possible.

Systems like Desktop Alert and other MNS products are vital tools in our ongoing domestic, military and other preparedness efforts to combat the growing list of threats that multiply each day. In addition to being an emergency notification system, it is a hands-off process that if necessary can release crisis center personnel to respond more quickly to priority tasks at hand.

During a crisis, systems like Desktop Alert can contact personnel inside buildings by speaking across computers, requiring receipt confirmation of the message flashed on their screens. If a response is not immediate, then Alert messages automatically go to a second level, either email or phone with another receipt confirmation required, and a third if necessary. Any number of multiple delivery and receipt confirmation scenarios can be activated to ensure that all key personnel automatically get notified and updated as necessary.

Many organizations have existing security/surveillance and other legacy communication systems. These can all be integrated into MNS products, providing 100% guaranteed notification for all computer desktops and devices. Wall-mounted alert devices and massive telephone dialing services are also key features that enable further and deeper communications.

Emergency notification is no longer a need for just government and military facilities. Hospitals, universities, state & local governments and corporations are installing MNS products to alert teams and individuals of one-time mass emergencies, immediate response situations, and every day notices and bulletins. These organizations have found that having an affordable, easy-to-use way to notify key recipients of key information is critical to smooth and safe day-to-day operations. Instead of a mass email with hundreds of out-of-office responses and uncertainty regarding whether messages have been properly delivered, they know their communications automatically go to a second or third tier device until the intended recipient is found and receipt confirmed. This behavior improves overall organizational communication and helps add another layer to the preparedness and readiness in case of a real emergency.

David R Zadick
President
Desktop Alert
Washington, DC 20004

(202) 374-0877

dz@desktopalert.net

The changing paradigm in Mass Notification – Unified Communication (UC)

admin — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 05:22:00 GMT

Interruptions to day-to-day business operations occur numerous times per year in the average organization resulting in thousands of hours of lost productivity and revenue, and potentially endangering public safety. Common causes of these interruptions can range from power outages, severe storms, floods, chemical spills, accidents, information system crashes, to human error and more. During these times the difference between an inconvenience and a disaster is often driven by two critical factors, preparedness and communication. Whether it is preparation, training, exercises, recalls, or actual emergencies, timely and accurate information and notification is critical. People will react to incidents and emergencies with or without the necessary information, decisions will be made, a single timely notification can make the difference between an inconvenience and a disaster.

In recent years there have been almost daily headlines of emergencies such as; natural disasters (tornadoes, earth quakes, floods, wild fires, blizzards, etc) and man-made disasters (massive auto accidents, campus shootings, civil disorder, system outages,…). In addition, one can open nearly any business or technology journal and find an article on the disastrous effects of technology and security failures. Again the common theme across all of these events is the need for better preparation and communication.

In response to the ever growing number of incidents and the need for better and better communication organizations have looked to technology for a solution. E-mail, Pagers, overhead paging systems, PBX, phone trees, radios, and sirens, desktop alerting, indoor building alerts, all took advantage of the then current and available technology and provided some improvements. The explosive proliferation of cell phones, SMS text messaging, expanded access to the internet, VOIP, desktop computers, laptop computers, smart phones, and tablet PCs have provided significant advancements in mass communication. Social media now offers yet another opportunity for the expansion of mass communication capabilities.

With the abundance of technologies available to fill the mass communication needs you may ask which technology is the best? The answer is that the specific situation dictates which technology or technologies are right for your organization. Just as not all incidents or emergencies require the same response; not all incidents or emergencies demand dissemination of information to all individuals or groups. And, not all individuals or groups have access to all available technologies. Therefore, it is apparent that no one technology is best for all situations and organizations must consider the use of multiple technologies in their mass notification solutions.

The use of multiple independent communication technologies offers the opportunity for improved rapid communication to individuals and groups. However, these independent systems also introduce the complexity and expense of managing and maintaining multiple systems. As well, there is the increased potential for inconsistency in the message and information delivered. The combination of these deficiencies has driven the need for Unified Communications (UC).

Unified communications encompasses technologies that automate and unify communications into a single experience. UC incorporates business processes and technology infrastructure, and enhances communication by eliminating device and media dependencies. The goal is to no longer focus solely on a single technology for day-to-day notifications and emergency communications. Rather the goal is to unify or integrate communication technologies into a single platform. A single unified mass communication platform offers the diversity, presence, message consistency, and contact capabilities that extend beyond any single communication technology but rather incorporates all available devices an organization or person may use or have at their disposal. The UC platform expands the reach of the mass communication system by rapidly delivering time-sensitive critical actionable intelligence to targeted individuals and groups through all available technologies.

The advantages of a UC mass notification (UCMN) platform can be seen in this example; a university is confronted with an active shooter on campus. Through the UC mass notification system an alert can publish in real-time providing critical situational information to law enforcement agencies, staff, students and family. A single alert activation can call one, some or hundreds of key recipients in seconds. Alerts published can be simultaneously delivered in video, voice, text messaging, text-to-speech, email, computer pop-ups, speaker systems and more along with real-time reporting information that displays recipient confirmation. The new unified platform, real-time systems eliminate the situations where numerous emergency operators spread similar but less then accurate emergency information. The use of all available technologies minimizes the potential that an individual or group did not get the message. Incorporation of the in-place infrastructure, PCs, digital displays, and emergency display units further extend the reach of the UCMN system to campus visitors and quest.

A key factor for recent technological advancements in the alerting industry has been the participation through interoperability across IP-Based computer networks. OASIS (Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards) is a not-for-profit consortium that drives the development, convergence and adoption of open standards for the global information society. The OASIS CAP (Common Alerting Protocol) has recently been adopted by the U.S. Department of Defense as well as numerous Government agencies worldwide as a mandatory interoperability standard. Total Alert Systems is a sponsor-level member at OASIS and incorporates the CAP standard into all products.

Total Alert Systems is a provider of IP-Based mass notification systems. Through a single web-based console alerts are published across numerous available modalities in 30 seconds or less to targeted recipient lists that could number in the thousands. In an emergency seconds can be critical. Making use of Total Alert Systems Unified Mass Communication products provide the platform that offers the diversity, presence, message consistency, and contact capabilities that extend beyond any single communication technology but rather incorporates all available devices an organization or person may use or have at their disposal. Total Alert Systems is committed to continuously providing and improving standards-based Mass Communication Systems operating within a secure Unified Communication platform.

By: John Monville

VP Corporate Sales

Total Alert Systems Inc.

Desktop Alert Strategic Partner Cassidian Communications on Fox Business News

admin — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 09:11:00 GMT

Cassidian CEO Dave Rutan on Fox Business News Plugs Common Alerting Protocol

Dave Rutan on Fox Business from Cassidian Communications on Vimeo.

End of Support for Windows Vista Service Pack 1

admin — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 05:33:00 GMT

Vista Dead That's great. How do we tell our Government clients who rely on SP1 No support? This is a clear admission by MS that Vista is tanked.

DOD to negotiate prices more aggressively

admin — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 22:55:00 GMT

Defense Department officials have told acquisition employees to fight for lower prices on contracts, even when there's only one bidder. This bodes VERY well for our company and eliminates price gouging by beltway bandits and DoD vendors who have historically won bids over Desktop Alert, sometimes in cases where their costs were 5 and 10 million dollars more then Desktop Alert quotes! HURRAY!!!! In an April 27 2011 memo, DOD officials gave more guidance to their acquisition offices on bargain for lower prices, as the department aims for more competition and lower spending in general. One area to find that savings is by negotiating lower prices from a contractor. Read about this here... http://fcw.com/articles/2011/04/28/defense-department-contract-competition.aspx?s=fcwdaily_290411

Ollie Ollie Oxen Free! Will someone please let me know if the coast is clear?

admin — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 08:34:00 GMT

The original form of the quotation is from the game Hide and seek, and is a corruption of "ally ally, outs in free, which became over time "Ollie Ollie oxen free" meaning all who had not been found could return to base safely.

If you remember the game as a kid, you were very alert and able to scramble for your game-life because you were armed with actionable intelligence.

Recently, Desktop Alert introduced a new product called the "Emergency Display Unit". Ollie Ollie oxen free did not make the cut. The correlation is rather simple. Our customers continually placed an emphasis and a premium on the need for Common Area Alerting Solutions so that EOC's could inform and protect personnel that were in cafeterias, hallways, tenant facilities, hangers, mobile installations and numerous additional undefined areas. The need to protect people as they were "out and about". That is what we heard loud and clear over and over again.

We came up with this:

Desktop Alert EDU™ PATENT PENDING

Desktop Alert to Present To The President's Chief Technology Officer at TCIP 2010

admin — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 06:20:00 GMT

Desktop Alert will speak with and present to Aneesh Chopra, Assistant to the President and Chief Technology Officer in the White House Office of Science & Tech. Policy who is speaking at the OASIS Emergency Interoperability Demonstration.

This is a great honor and opportunity for the advancement of our nations alert recall automation infrastructure. Desktop Alert is honored by the invitation to attend and present to America's top security decision makers.

Desktop Alert was recently selected for our next generation alert and recall automation infrastructure. This system will integrate all of the Guards' 54 States and Territories, 88 Air Wings, and the Guards 146 locations including Headquarter elements. This contract represents the single largest deployment of an IP-based mass notification platform in U.S. Military history.

Desktop Alert is an OASIS Sponsor Level Member and recently demonstrated Jabcast XMPP solution to extend CAP Nationwide Emergency messages capability instantly to over 50 million instant messenger users in the U.S. alone with near real-time alert publications.

The 11th annual Technologies for Critical Incident Preparedness Conference and Exposition highlights DOJ, DHS, and DoD's technologies, RDT&E investments, and training tools currently available and being developed for the emergency responder community, as well as provides a forum for emergency responders to discuss best practices and exchange information. With 1,500 attendees and 150 exhibits and demonstrations expected, this conference offers a unique opportunity for emergency responders, business and industry, academia, and local, tribal, state, and federal stakeholders to network, exchange ideas, and address common critical incident technology, preparedness, response and recovery needs, protocols, and solutions.

Supporters

Presented By:
Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Defense (DoD)

Sponsored By:
DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs’ National Institute of Justice
DHS's Science & Technology Directorate
DoD's Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas’ Security Affairs

OASIS Sponsor Level Members and Scenario Partners:

WSI

In Partnership With:

Fraternal Order of Police (FOP)

InterAgency Board For Equipment Standardization and Interoperability (IAB)

Interagency Council for Applied Homeland Security Technology (ICAHST)
International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM)

International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF)

National Emergency Management Association (NEMA)

National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA)

The National Bomb Squad Commanders Advisory Board (NBSCAB)

National Alliance for Public Safety GIS Foundation

Details

When

Tuesday, February 2, 2010 8:30 AM - Thursday, February 4, 2010 5:00 PM
Eastern Time Zone

Where

Philadelphia Marriott Downtown

1201 Market Street

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107

215-625-2900

NEWS LINK: http://www.desktopalert.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=138

The Winners Circle

admin — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:32:00 GMT

I ran across an interesting article the other day written by mass notification aficionados Rick Wimberly & Lorin Bristow. The article: Where are the Notification Market Leaders?

My response to the article would have to be:

Well thanks for the article! It was passed onto our budget department who was originally petitioned for funding to become a Sponsor Level Member at OASIS. As to your question: “Where are the Notification Market Leaders?”

I would say that they are in every town, city and state across America and beyond. Of course there is some truth to your analysis in the sense that very often we do tend to always look for the “big players” to come in and redefine our markets. However, in regard to Mass Notification technologies -- it might be the case that this time – the mold has been broken. What is meant by that? Please allow me to explain. Mass Notification is an emerging market that is gaining more and more relevance in the world each day. However at the current time, the overwhelmingly obvious benefits to private -- or non public sectors -- are for lack of a better word, just not that obvious. Nevertheless, rest assured that as the corporate space becomes more and more aware of Mass Notification and its applications in Disaster Recovery, Business Continuity and other business critical areas, you can expect serious industry growth.

Rest assured that the folks already up to speed with the CAP protocols and participating in OASIS will have a healthy head start in reaching out to these new prospective customers – and engaging them! Remember, the true definition of interoperability is the ability to publish mass notification nationwide or worldwide with or without the title “mass notification leader”.

Our company Desktop Alert recently attended the CAP and EDXL Standards at OASIS Baltimore Emergency Interoperability Training Event in Baltimore. At that event were numerous vendors which represented a full spectrum/range of company size both big and small however; all companies were equal to the task in delivering the message! In a sense the OASIS Summit was in fact where the “Notification Market Leaders” were! Again, they led by demonstrating the ease of mass notification interoperability without the hindrance of carrying a title of “Notification Market Leader”.

Interoperable Coo-petition via Message-oriented middleware is the road to success with mass notification. The days of monopolistic practices for emergency communications have gone the way of Ma Bell -- such narcissistic business practices are counterproductive to the essence of interoperability, alienate business opportunities and fly in the face of the good will forged by organizations such as OASIS. Interoperability between mass notification vendors does not diminish business opportunities but rather it increases business opportunities.

Simply put, mom and pop can do business with AT&T or anyone else, and get the job done. There are many small operations that have a 99%+ server up-time capability thanks to SaaS data centers. This evolution is not a “success” equation based on the antiquated understanding of outdated corporate rules, but rather represent a paradigm shift, with significant upside in terms of affordability to the all important “Happy Customer”. (Yes, it’s almost silly to say paradigm shift these days, but I had to)

While premised-based solutions will always occupy a solid position in many organizations mass notification requirements, SaaS solutions via ratified open source standards will experience a dramatic spike in growth. Organizations in need of unified mass notification not capable of purchasing premised-based solutions will finally be provided with a low cost SaaS alternative. In the case of CAP emergency alert messaging, secure transmission of the information is also available at 128 bit encryption and up.

The very notion of a “mass notification leader” representing the pinnacle of success with organizations such as CAP is entirely contrary to the proliferation of interoperability. The gestation process has begun and OASIS is taking on new members regularly, which include Fortune 100 companies as well as mom and pop companies. The market leaders are in place – and soon they’ll assume their place in the winner’s circle.

Howard Ryan

DesktopAlert.Net

Desktop Alert Score Card: United States Military Academy at West Point

admin — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 08:22:00 GMT

Over two years have elapsed since the Desktop Alert Mass Notification System was installed at United States Military Academy at West Point.

Today our engineering team met with the DOIM INTEL Division and reviewed the system, its usage and of course the report card. We were immediately informed that:

In emergencies, weather alerts and standard informational alerting Desktop Alert performed as expected.
Numerous operators of the Desktop Alert System informed us that the ease of use was arguably the most compelling feature of the system.
Desktop Alert was informed "your company has met and exceeded our expectations on support and we want you to know we appreciate it"

Desktop Alert received a score of E for excellent, the highest grade available to a vendor from United States Military Academy at West Point.

This was accomplished by our rapid incident management capability. It was noted by the DOIM that "on most support incidents the call to action by your team was met with swift support and resolution within hours of the request".

The Desktop Alert System at USMA is fully integrated with Communicator! NXT from DCC. Recently, Desktop Alert entered into an exclusive OEM agreement by DCC as a best-of-breed IP-based notification platform offering to the Department of Defense, Public Safety, Healthcare, Educational, Industrial and Commercial markets.

Today was a high point for our company and we are honored to serve and continue to serve this prestigious and iconic institution.

Everbridge Aware (formerly known as 3N) Selects Desktop Alert to Notify Students Worldwide

admin — Mon, 18 May 2009 11:55:00 GMT

Desktop Alert has integrated with Everbridge Aware to offer another communication pathway to reach people during an emergency outside of standard instant messaging applications. Desktop Alert consolidates multiple warning systems enabling command operators to initiate emergency alerts to any warning devices via a single web-based interface.

The Everbridge Aware selection of Desktop Alert is a significant stride for our company to reach out to students with critical alerts. Everbridge Aware is the mass notification platform selected by VA TECH and numerous other prestigious learning institutions across the North American Continent and beyond. Believe it or not over 99.9% of schools do NOT have the ability to send alerts to student’s desktops. That’s an amazing statistic when one considers that most students are either in front of or near a computer!

Everbridge Aware recognized this and has decidedly taken a leadership role in extending mass notification to students by way of desktop alerts.

We are honored to be the selected ip-based mass notification platform by the North America’s leading provider or emergency alerts to students.

Desktop Alerts state-of-the-art mass notification capabilities are now a standard offering by Everbridge Aware.

DCC and Desktop Alert Announce Partnership to Expand Emergency Notification Capabilities

admin — Sun, 17 May 2009 09:01:00 GMT

FRANKLIN, Tenn., WASHINGTON, DC (May 14, 2009) – DCC (Dialogic Communications Corp.), a PlantCML® company and global leader in emergency notification, and Desktop Alert, Inc., a leading industry provider of network-centric emergency notification systems, today announced the companies are working together to offer an expanded emergency notification solution integrating Desktop Alert’s network-centric technology with DCC’s The Communicator!® NXT. The integrated solution, exclusively available through DCC, leverages the strengths of each product to deliver audible and visible critical alerts to designated recipients during critical situations.

Globally deployed throughout the public and private sectors, The Communicator!® NXT emergency notification system provides list-based, multi-modal communication to quickly and expertly mobilize personnel, crisis action teams, volunteers and others. Desktop Alert, a best-of-breed, IP-based alert technology, provides visual alerts using existing computational infrastructure and business logic through a next-generation information architecture. Integration of the two solutions will enable the rapid dissemination of these audible and visible alerts upon activation of The Communicator!® NXT, further expanding an operation’s ability to alert personnel of potential hazards.

DCC and Desktop Alert share mutual customers in a wide range of industries across the defense, federal, municipal and commercial markets. Through this partnership, existing and future clients will realize the benefits of an integrated solution that provides alerting via all communications devices while reducing notification cycle completion time. Integration is made possible using DCC’s next-generation API (Application Programming Interface) to The Communicator!® NXT.

“For our customers, this relationship incorporates another means for effectively reaching out when time is of the essence and communication is essential,” said Scott Alfieri, DCC president.

Among the many benefits of deploying DCC’s emergency notification technology are: streamlined crisis communications management; efficient personnel, first responder and population alerting; enhanced personnel accountability and resource protection; and reduced lag time from initial notification to full response. Typical activations include military recalls, campus notifications and Amber Alerts.

“Desktop Alert and DCC will continue to build on the numerous crisis communications capabilities created by the integration of these two products,” said David Zadick, president of Desktop Alert. “Together we will offer our shared customers the security, ease of use, reliability, long-term sustainability and integration level they deserve.”

About DCC
DCC (Dialogic Communications Corp.), a PlantCML® company, is the global leader in emergency notification technology. Collectively, its on-premise and hosted solutions are used by hundreds of organizations, helping ensure their communications readiness for public safety, business continuity and homeland defense. Clients include government agencies, Fortune 500 corporations, healthcare providers, educators and U.S. military bases worldwide. DCC was established in 1982, and is headquartered in Franklin, Tenn. (a suburb of Nashville). For more information, visit www.dccusa.com.

About Desktop Alert, Inc.
Desktop Alert Inc. is an industry provider in network-centric emergency notification systems to military, government and commercial organizations for physical security and force protection. End users worldwide rely on Desktop Alert’s unified mass notification systems for their emergency alerting and critical communications needs. To learn more, visit www.desktopalert.net.

Contacts:

Tami Timperio
VP, Global Marketing Communications
PlantCML®, an EADS North America Company
Tel: 951.719.2423
Email: ttimperio@plantcml.com

My Military Inspiration, My Uncle I Never Met

admin — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 14:11:00 GMT

I grew up listening to stories from my father about my Uncle who was killed in Korea. He died at the young age of 21 in combat. Here is his Korean War Project Remembrance Link:

Remembering SGT HOWARD RYAN

NAVY CROSS
BRONZE STAR

7th Marine Regiment
I CO 3 BN

1st Marine Division

Marines

Hostile, Died (KIA)

Date Of Loss: October 27, 1952

Service Number: 1036624

EAST MEADOW, NY

Location of Loss: WESTERN OUTPOSTS

Born: May 31, 1929

Comments: Sergeant Ryan was a Squad Leader from Company I, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division. Five times he led patrols forward of the main battle line to gain valuable information about the enemy. On October 7, 1952 he singlehandedly attacked and destroyed enemy emplacements. Then, as he was reorganizing his squad, he was mortally wounded. Navy Cross. Born East Meadow, New York, hometown Bellmore, New York.

My Uncle was sending all of his money back to his mom to help support 5 kids at home in East Meadow NY because their father had vanished years earlier leaving a once wealthy family to the generosity of welfare for food and housing.