InfrastructureCisco shows Cisco Open Platform for Safety and Security

Cisco Systems announced last week the Cisco Open Platform for
Safety and Security, a technology platform designed to enable government
agencies to protect assets, employees, and citizens through a secure,
intelligent, converged network. Cisco Open Platform for Safety and Security
supports the needs of defense, civilian, public safety, state, and local
government agencies to focus on business continuity and force protection
mission requirements to minimize risk and address the security needs of
citizens. Efficient communications supported by interoperable technologies are
critical for the situational awareness and effectiveness of incident response.
Trouble is, most agencies have a number of stand-alone, non-interoperable
systems which require dedicated headcount and lead to long decision and
response cycles.

Cisco
Open Platform for Safety and Security incorporates different Cisco
technologies, including Cisco Unified Communications, Cisco Video Surveillance
Manager (VSM), Cisco’s IP Interoperability and Collaboration System (IPICS)
with land mobile radio integration, as well as solutions for digital media
services, mobility, and notification, all enabled over Cisco’s converged
infrastructure. As importantly, together with several industry solution
developers, Cisco Open Platform for Safety and Security also supports sensor
integration and management, video analytics, geographic information system
(GIS) framework for common operating picture, enterprise mass emergency
notification, and physical access control. These industry solution developers
include AtHoc, Augusta Systems, Coleman, ObjectVideo, pTerex, Swan Island, Vialogy, and VidSys.
“In an environment of increasing threats, agencies must empower employees
with tools to deliver the right information quickly at the point of need to
protect citizens and critical assets,” said Bruce Klein, Cisco’s federal
vice president. “Cisco Open Platform for Safety and Security addresses the
government’s most pressing needs by breaking down technology barriers for a
common operational view across multiple solutions. This improves decision and
response times in order to increase the effectiveness of emergency operations
teams without furthering the load on current personnel.”

The
company says its new solution will allow agencies to take advantage of a
converged, secure IP network to provide improved employee safety and security
during emergency notification through early warnings and employee
accountability, enhanced risk management by facilitating COOP, crisis
management, and all-hazards incident response, facilities and critical
infrastructure protection through access control and sensors, reduced
operational costs by using technology to make the same resources more
effective, interoperable communications regardless of device or location, and
strengthened interagency coordination and collaboration via real-time data,
video, and voice on location.