Solacom verifies multi-vendor next generation interoperability at NENA i3 Industry Collaboration Event
Chicago, IL, November 25, 2011 — Solacom Technologies today announced it completed participation in ‘i3’ next generation interoperability testing at the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) 4th Industry Collaboration Event (ICE).
This follows an announcement earlier in the month that Solacom has begun deploying, to 15 counties in southern Illinois, what is likely to be the first Next Generation 9-1-1 public safety network in the USA to incorporate key functional elements as defined by the NENA i3 specifications. The Solacom solution supports both circuit-switched legacy 9-1-1 systems and next generation IP-based systems, providing a smooth transition path to Next Generation 9-1-1 that promises new and more efficient public safety communications like the ability to text 9-1-1, send photos, videos, and other types of data that will help first responders save lives.
At the Industry Collaboration Event, Solacom verified interoperability between its Legacy Network Gateway (LNG) and LIS (Location Information Server), ECRF (Emergency Call Routing Function) and ESRP (Emergency Services Routing Proxy) functional elements from various vendors. The Solacom LNG is part of a complete portfolio of solutions for Emergency Services IP Networks (ESInets) and public safety agencies that need to transition from legacy to next gen i3 systems.
“Interoperability amongst vendor equipment is vital to the implementation of NG9-1-1 and as an active participant in all of the ICE events, Solacom supports and commends NENA for leading this important initiative” said Gilles Ferland, Solacom vice president Product Marketing.
NENA held the Industry Collaboration Event #4 (ICE 4) in Irving, Texas at the AT&T Center for Learning the week of 11/14/11. The focus of the event was emergency call routing based on the LoST hierarchy. This is the core function required to assure reliable and predictable emergency call routing and location validation regardless of the media type or device being used to place a call. The largest and most complex ICE event ever undertaken, it culminated in a successful multi-vendor testing process, resulting in heightened awareness and recognition of the requirements necessary for interoperable call routing. The twenty-two companies involved evaluated multi-vendor interaction between Emergency Call Routing Functions and also included the following functional entities:
- Emergency Services Routing Proxies
- Location Validation Functions
- Location Information Servers
- Legacy Network Gateways
- Call logging and recording
- NG9-1-1 PSAP CPE
- SIP User Agents
The testing explored a greater detail of specification called for in the requirements in a variety of different “real world” situations focusing on call routing. Specifically, the following interactions and protocols were evaluated:
- Recursive and iterative LoST queries
- Multi-Hop routing cases involving a combination of a forest guide, state-level ECRF, and regional or local "leaf node" ECRF’s
- Default routing and error handling at the ECRF and ESRP level
- LIS based location validation utilizing an LVF in a variety of different scenarios
- Call logging and recording interaction
About Solacom
Solacom Technologies builds some of the world’s most reliable critical communications systems that integrate Voice, Video and Data to deliver advanced IP-based interoperability solutions for public safety 9-1-1, military command, security and other mission critical applications. With a legacy of innovation in air traffic control and public safety, our engineers have pioneered many industry advances over the past 25 years.
Media Contact:
Robert Cassidy
Solacom – Manager Marketing & Communications
Phone 613-693-0641 x370