Johannesburg, 05 Jan 2005
Converged communications solution for DC-Net covers 60 agencies and 360 locations, improves reliability and emergency response and saves $10m annually
The District of Columbia has selected a new converged communications solution from Avaya, for a citywide voice network that will support 30,000 government employees.
The voice network - part of the city`s DC-Net initiative - is expected to save the city more than $10 million annually while improving the reliability of its communications services and its ability to respond to emergencies. DC-Net is a municipally owned, fibre-optic network and telecommunications system.
When the installation is completed the network will centralise communications for more than 60 D.C. government agencies and 360 individual sites. The Avaya solution will dramatically reduce telecommunications costs. In addition, previous investments the city made in thousands of Integrated Service Digital Network (ISDN) telephones will be preserved since the Avaya solution supports a variety of communication protocols.
According to district managers in the Office of the Chief Technology Officer, the real financial driver for DC-NET is the voice telephony network Avaya is providing, which is allowing the District to replace a more costly solution and to gain higher capacity, greater functionality and flexibility. For example, the city can use traditional TDM voice connectivity or evolve to IP telephony when ready, while supporting the phones in its current inventory.
The DC-Net voice network is based on the industry-leading Avaya Communication Manager IP telephony software. The software provides hundreds of features supporting collaboration, public safety and business productivity, including voice mail, on-demand conferencing, and malicious call trace/crisis alert. The Extension to Cellular capability allows callers to reach mobile DC- Net users anytime, anywhere using a single contact number.
The software also provides a converged voice and data platform for IP desktop phones and wireless devices, as well as the Avaya IP Softphone, a software application that allows users to access advanced calling features from a laptop computer, PC or PDA. Avaya Communication Manager is Section 508 compliant, supporting TTY devices used by people who are deaf or hard of hearing and providing speech-access capabilities for people with visual disabilities.
The city is deploying four sets of high-reliability Avaya Media Servers that host and distribute Communication Manager to users across the city. The units are geographically separated and provide seamless fail-over capabilities to keep the DC-NET voice network up and running in the event of a disruption to a location or server. Each server is protected with an uninterrupted power supply, standby generators and a high-capacity cooling system.
To support emergency response needs and special events, the city has an Avaya Mobile Communication Network, a self-contained, fully-integrated system for quickly establishing a remote voice and data network. The solution features the same communications capabilities used in sophisticated office settings-packaged in a rugged, portable case that can be transported and deployed in minutes.
The mobile network supports both wired and wireless LANs and Virtual Private Network (VPN) technology. As a result, it enables secure, high-speed email and data applications, as well as messaging, conferencing and other Communication Manager voice applications.
The installation of Avaya`s converged communications network for DC-NET is supported by a team of technicians from Avaya Global Services, a group of more than 7,000 specialists experienced in the design, deployment, protection, maintenance and management of enterprise communications.
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