Issue link: https://securitytechnologyexecutive.epubxp.com/i/917121
www. SecurityInfoWatch.com • November/December 2017 • SECURIT Y TECHNOLOGY E XECUTIVE 37 With multi- channel and omnichannel not available to 911, the nation, and the world are relegated to single mode voice communications. About the Author: Mark J. Fletcher is ENP, Chief A rchitect - World wide Public Safet y Solutions Enterprise Solutions for Avaya. stored in the mobile device operating system. There is no way of communicating any information that may be available on the device to relevant parties. The only mode of communication is to transmit sound via an analog voice path. To send data, a data network must be present and functional element must exist to receive the data transmissions. How high-performance enterprise communications solutions can help Advancing emergency calling systems requires tech- nology leaders with deep experience in building vast, quickly-emerging omnichannel systems for commer- cial communications environments. However, unfor- tunately to date, the mission has been very different. Most companies involved in Public Safety communi- cations only deal with the audio of a phone call and the minimal data retrieved from the billing address associated with the phone number. New streams of additional data will now be present and available, and the systems to handle that information must be designed, implemented and maintained. While any mechanic can perform a tuneup on your Chevy pickup truck, you would arguably be more selective with your Tesla; that same logic applies here, the technology leaders advancing emergency calling systems must be experienced experts in this field. As enterprise businesses fight for revenue and cus- tomer loyalty, they understand that multi-channel environments (voice, text, and email) are absolutely required, however, customers want to utilize these modalities in an omnichannel environment, where the modality of choice becomes the one that makes the most sense at the given time. It also means that a conversation starting out in one modality may esca- late very quickly to another modality that is more appropriate for a particular conversation. With multi-channel and omnichannel not avail- able to 911, the nation, and the world are relegated to single mode voice communications. Avaya enables the world's largest and most critical networks and does this every day for the world's largest airlines, banks, and online retailers. While the mission for a 911 call- taker is far more critical than commercial communi- cations, the forensics, intelligence, and optimization that real-time communication companies like Avaya and others provide every day can bring a new level of resiliency, redundancy, and functionality to the public safety market, that has never been seen before. A rededication to security Security is the number one conversation that any enterprise business needs to have, whether they are a retailer, airline, or municipal government. So, it should come as no surprise that evolving and transforming the public safety market will also require a rededica- tion to security. As the back end, emergency services network is IP-enabled, there is also an expansion of the attackable footprint. Security evaluation reme- diation is not a one-time event. Rather, it is an ongo- ing process that is constantly changing, learning and evolving as new threats become exposed. A certain level of safety is offered in the legacy emergency network, however, because of its lack of IP connectivity there is a certain level of exposure – for example, a simple mass call event can have a crip- pling effect on the network (and in fact, it has before). In an IP environ- ment, origination endpoint authen- tication is critical. Without a reli- able identity method in place, the Internet would become the Wild West. In voice over IP telephony, that same construct applies. The future for first responders With the evolution of today 's emergency network to one that is next-generation 911-enabled, and capable of handling additional modalities such as voice, video, and most importantly additional data from the Internet of Things, Public Safety has a unique opportunity to expand their visibility into inci- dents as they are unfolding. Soon, first responders will be able to see tempera- ture information from inside of a building with a fire or view real-time security video during a bank robbery. Biometric data from wearable devices will also increase the efficiency and capabilities of public safety agencies. In the near future, critical vital signs will be instantly available to remote staff at a hospi- tal, allowing a targeted response by specific teams with the right gear for the mission at hand. However, to make this future a reality, government must upgrade their existing legacy infrastructure. For example today, of the roughly one in five 911 centers that have adopted Text-to-911, most only allow for back-and-forth text, not giving people in emergency situations the ability to share their GPS coordinates or multimedia such as photos or videos that could help first responders assess the situation. In an increasingly mobile world where Uber can locate and pick people up in less than 5 minutes, shouldn't our governments be making sure that our Emergency Services IP network is future-enabled, and that our first responders can find us when our lives are at risk?