Press Releases

MicroAutomation Supports NENA’s Testing Of Next Generation 9-1-1 Systems

ICE 2017 brings together 23 companies for hands-on standards-based testing of NG9-1-1 interoperability

Centreville, VA – April 5, 2017. MicroAutomation, a recognized leader in 9-1-1 solutions, concluded their testing of its Omni911 solution as part of this year’s National Emergency Numbers Association’s (NENA) Industry Collaboration Event (ICE).

During the week of March 19, NENA brought together twenty-three public safety technology companies for the latest in a series of Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) Industry Collaboration Events (ICE). The ICE series allows vendors to test leading-edge products and services that will advance 9-1-1 from the current voice-only, legacy 9-1-1 environment into the data-rich world of IP-based communications.

The hands-on, standards-based testing done in the lab setting at this event yielded a number of significant firsts and other meaningful results:

  • The testing of smart-device apps that interface with NG9-1-1 to provide improved caller location information to the 9-1-1 call taker;
  • The testing of capabilities that allow 9-1-1 personnel to receive data from callers, such as emergency medical information, or data about an emergency scene, such as the presence of hazardous materials or building blueprints; and
  • The testing of NG9-1-1 data exchange functions that enable seamless information sharing within 9-1-1 center systems (such as computer aided dispatch and records management) and between individual 9-1-1 centers, field responders, and other public safety entities to provide a smarter, faster emergency response.

The testing and results from ICE 7 help ensure that NG9-1-1 provides the services and the level of reliability required for IP-based, mission-critical public safety communications, while supporting accessibility to NG9-1-1 service for all citizens making requests for assistance.

“Facilitating the timely migration to NG9-1-1 is one of NENA’s highest priorities,” said NENA President Renee Hardwick, ENP. “The ICE series is one of the integral ways that NENA is fostering collaboration and moving our industry forward. We thank all the participating companies for their commitment to developing and deploying NG9-1-1, and we look forward to their participation in future Industry Collaboration Events.”

ICE 7 participants utilized current, pending, and in-development standards for these tests, gaining knowledge that only collaborative, multi-party testing can provide. The result was a better understanding of how these emerging areas of technology interface with NG9-1-1’s core services as defined by the NENA i3 standard, the industry-consensus foundational document that governs how NG9-1-1 works. The overall test objectives of ICE 7 were met and will be the basis for the tests conducted at future events.

“We are excited to have been able to participate in this truly collaborative event,” said Suresh Gursahaney, MicroAutomation’s Founder and CEO. “NG9-1-1 cannot happen without all of us in the vendor community being completely committed to open and end-to-end interoperability. This event and the work by the various participating organizations leading up to this will significantly accelerate our ability to bring these solutions to market.”

NENA thanks the Illinois Institute of Technology, School of Applied Technology in Wheaton, IL for hosting the last four ICEs and for allowing participants to use the network technology and facilities at the Rice Campus. Special thanks are owed to Professor Carol Davids and IIT Real-Time Communications Lab Mentor Joe Cusimano, both of whom contributed greatly to the planning and successful execution of this event.

Further details about ICE 7 are available here. Click here for additional information on the ICE series.

About MicroAutomation

For 25 years, MicroAutomation has focused on delivering impactful contact center and 9-1-1 solutions that provide our customers with reliable, flexible and cost-effective technology. MicroAutomation’s E-911 and new NG911 PSAP solutions are proven, powerful, and reliable -and are certified by the DoD Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC). Purpose-built, MicroAutomation’s software-based solutions provide a complete suite of call-taking and response functions that complies with and the evolving NENA i3 standards. Supported by MicroAutomation’s 24x7x365 support, these systems are built to support the increasing demands facing emergency operations centers of all types and sizes. MicroAutomation is an active contributor and participant of the NENA standards committees defining the standards for NG9-1-1, and an active participant in NENA’s Industry Collaboration Events (ICE) to ensure interoperability with other NG9-1-1 products.

About NENA

NENA serves its members and the greater public safety community as the only professional organization solely focused on 9-1-1 policy, technology, operations, and education issues. With more than 11,000 members in 48 chapters across the United States and around the globe, NENA promotes the implementation and awareness of 9-1-1, as well as international three-digit emergency communications systems. Through the association’s efforts to provide effective and efficient public safety solutions, NENA strives to protect human life, preserve property, and maintain the security of our communities.