Aruba Networks, a provider of distributed enterprise network offerings, and RedSky Technologies, a provider of Enhanced 9-1-1 (E9-1-1) offerings, have launched a Wi-Fi based emergency call location offering for campus, branch office and teleworker applications.
The companies said that the new offering automatically locates Wi-Fi phones as they originate E9-1-1 calls, allowing first responders to be dispatched to the correct address, building and floor.
The new E9-1-1 call location offering developed by Aruba and RedSky provides real-time information about a Wi-Fi caller’s location and relays it to the E9-1-1 dispatcher. It works with Aruba’s campus, branch office, and teleworker/home worker solutions, and with RedSky’s E911 Anywhere service. RedSky is certified for use with Alcatel-Lucent, Avaya, Cisco and Nortel IP-PBXs.
In a three-step location process, Aruba’s wireless LAN sends real-time location updates to RedSky E911 Manager as voice clients move on the network. The caller’s location is triangulated by processing signal strength and other data from nearby Aruba access points, and forwarded to RedSky. RedSky’s E911 Manager updates internal, external and IP-PBX databases with the location of the clients
When a voice client dials 9-1-1, E911 Manager provides instructions to the IP-PBX to route the call and notifies internal security personnel with location information derived from floor plans of
the facility and then the E9-1-1 dispatcher receives the emergency voice call and location updates in real-time, and can direct first responders appropriately to the correct address, building, and floor, the companies said.
Peter Thornycroft, wireless applications manager at Aruba, said: “Emergency location identification is a key feature sought by all institutions migrating from wired Ethernet to Wi-Fi access, and we believe Aruba offers the solution with this important feature for all voice clients both local and remote.
“The solution works over our campus wireless LANs and Virtual Branch Network solutions for remote offices and teleworkers and doesn’t require any hardware changes to the network. Proving that cutting the cord doesn’t mean cutting essential features, this solution brings users the mobility of Wi-Fi, the safety of precise caller location, and toll-quality voice.”
