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E911 Hosted Solutions Featured Article
September 17, 2009
E911 Hosted Solutions Provider 911 ETC Stands by Avaya, Nortel Customers
By Amy Tierney, TMCnet Web Editor
Officials from an Everett, Wash.-based E911 hosted solutions provider said Avaya’s recent news that it is acquiring Nortel Enterprise Solutions will have little impact on the solutions it offers those customers.
Company officials from 911 ETC said they are renewing their support to offer E911 hosted solutions to Avaya and Nortel (News - Alert) customers.
911 ETC is a member of the Avaya DevConnect program—an initiative to develop, market and sell innovative third-party products that interoperate with Avaya (News - Alert) technology and extend the value of a company’s investment in its network. In addition, the company is also a partner in Nortel`s Developer Program, a co-marketing and compatibility testing programs that acts as a liaison with leading independent software and hardware vendors. The program is designed to encourage and empower the development of innovative solutions that complement and enhance Nortel communication platforms.
“As an Avaya DevConnect (News - Alert) partner, 911 ETC will continue to work alongside Avaya in providing the best in E911 solutions for organizations,” Larry Scott, president of 911 ETC, told TMCnet in an interview. “Our hosted solution affords the ability and flexibility to change along with continued advancements, allowing our customers to update their systems or migrate to VoIP. We have a solid track record over the past several years in doing so, most recently with our certification for Avaya’s Aura.”
E911 uses location-based technology to locate the whereabouts of distressed callers, often saving time for emergency responders. And in many cases, the technology saves lives. Organizations in all markets more and more are discovering the need for the solution.
Avaya announced earlier this week that it agreed to buy Nortel’s enterprise business for $900 million. Under the deal, Nortel will sell the assets of the Enterprise Solutions Business, and shares of Nortel Government Solutions and DiamondWare (News - Alert) to Avaya.
Mike Hill, major accounts manager for 911 ETC, said the acquisition “made sense considering the size of Nortel’s installed base, Avaya’s access to new customers on a worldwide scale, and Nortel’s technology development.”
What does the change mean for 911 ETC?
“I can’t think of a large change for ETC as our prior history shows that we have been committed to both Avaya and Nortel customers and we will continue to do so the same as any other switch manufacturer that we interface with,” Hill said.
While Avaya’s acquisition of Nortel could impact other E911 vendors, 911 ETC officials don’t expect any changes. Many E911 solutions require a box to be on-site and communicate directly with the PBX (News - Alert), Kevin Kito, regional account manager for 911 ETC, said. If customers change the type of PBX they have, they would likely have to buy a new piece of equipment to continue E911 service, he said.
“Our solutions for the Nortel CS1000 and CS2100 will remain compatible with our customers’ systems – any future updates are easily accommodated as we offer a hosted model for E911,” Glen O’Keefe, IT manager for 911 ETC, told TMCNet. “Our commitment to our customers and the safety of their organizations regarding E911 is unchanged: we’ll continue to provide ongoing monthly support and E911 database management in order to ensure accurate location information for all outgoing 911 calls.”
911 ETC’s E911 Hosted Solutions embrace emerging technologies to offer a single-point solution for enhanced 911 for both TDM and VoIP, which helps ensure accurate location information for 911 calls. The firm offers simple-to-implement, cost-effective and automated E911 Hosted Solutions that integrate with nearly all administration platforms.
Amy Tierney is a Web editor for TMCnet, covering unified communications, telepresence, IP communications industry trends and mobile technologies. To read more of Amy's articles, please visit her columnist page.
