The IPICS solution streamlines daily radio dispatch operations and allows organizations to rapidly respond to incidents, emergencies and facility events. IPICS dissolves communication silos between disparate land mobile radio systems and devices such as mobile phones, landline phones, IP phones and PC clients-users thereby enabling interoperable communications among users of all devices, wherever they are located. Cisco IPICS provides flexible and scalable communication interoperability that enhances the value of existing and new radio, telephony and IP communications networks.
Features and Benefits
The Cisco IPICS Dispatch Console is a state-of-the art end-to-end radio dispatching solution designed for mission-critical radio communications. The Cisco IPICS Dispatch Console client is the vital link between dispatchers and field personnel, helping coordinate field response and ensuring personnel safety. Built on IPICS technology, it extends existing push-to-talk (PTT) radio channels or broadcast networks so that users with a variety of communication devices, such as landline phones, cell phones, IP phones, and satellite phones, can share information and participate in an event. The IPICS Dispatch Console streamlines daily operations and allows organizations to respond to incidents and emergencies rapidly.
The IPICS Dispatch Console provides control of radio resources through an easy to use on-screen interface. It allows users to monitor and coordinate incident management responses for emergencies and day-to-day operations across multiple agencies, jurisdictions, departments, and incompatible radio systems. Command and control tactical dispatchers do not have to rely on multiple portable radio units to dispatch from the field. They can be equipped with a laptop PC that provides full dispatch console functionality. An intuitive graphical user interface (GUI) provides access to the following radio features:
• Push to Talk (PTT)
• Select/unselect/deselect channels
• Select and unselect audio speakers
• On-screen volume controls
• Channel patching
• Receive and transmit on-screen indicators for channel activity
• Handset, headset, or desktop microphone operation
• Individual channel mute/All mute
• All talk
• Instant recall recording per channel
• Last call transmit
• Alert tones
• Channel Multi-select
• Confirmation tones for trunked systems
• Unit ID/talker ID
• Emergency alert/acknowledge
• Coded/clear channels
• Loop prevention
• Integrated telephone
• Frequency select
Figure 1. Cisco IPICS Dispatch Console
The Cisco IPICS Dispatch Console integrates with virtually any analog or digital radio system to enable dynamic PTT communications. It is compatible with almost any dispatch operation that requires radio interoperability including public safety, homeland security, emergency operations centers, defense, and physical security environments.
It also introduces rich media incident management support, giving dispatchers the power to consolidate information relating to an incident and instantly share it among participants. Incident Dispatch enables the sharing of multimedia data such as the following:
• Live video sent from surveillance cameras, access control gateways and mobile clients
•
Archived videos such as Flip or
• Photos
• Alarm monitoring
• Journal and live statuses
• Website links to resources such as FEMA and hazardous material databases, standard operating procedures and maps
When dispatch consoles reach their end-of life and parts become difficult to find, it is important to move to a state-of-the-art dispatch console that takes advantage of current technology and is ready for future advances. The Cisco IPICS Dispatch Console provides numerous benefits including:
• Comprehensive feature set: The Cisco IPICS Dispatch Console supports the features important to a dispatcher-all on an IP-based application.
• Mobility: The Cisco IPICS Dispatch Console, being a PC based application, moves with the user anywhere there is an IP network versus a legacy dispatch console that stays where it is installed.
• Radio Interoperability and Beyond: The Cisco IPICS Dispatch Console, being built on IPICS technology, supports multi-agency talkgroups, talkgroups between disparate radios as well as talkgroups that include radios, PCs, phones, cell phones and IP-Phones.
• Rich Media incident management: The Cisco IPICS Dispatch Console moves beyond audio to support rich media talkgroups and a new generation of mobile endpoints.
• Integrated Policy Engine: Dispatchers are given a new set of tools that simplify notification and improve response time.
• Smooth evolution to P25, Tetra and other radio protocols
The Cisco IPICS Dispatch Console comes in two versions; Silver and Platinum. The Silver version provides a simple user interface and supports basic radio and incident dispatch functions. The Platinum version includes patch capabilities, integrated telephone, incident management, and policy management support.
The Cisco IPICS server checks the license count for concurrent Cisco IPICS Dispatch Console license usage. Each Cisco IPICS Dispatch Console client logged into the Cisco IPICS server consumes a license. If one user logs in to multiple Cisco IPICS Dispatch Console sessions from different PCs, that user will consume multiple licenses (one for each Cisco IPICS Dispatch Console session). This means that the Cisco IPICS Dispatch Console can be installed on as many PC's as needed and the licensing is based upon the Cisco IPICS Dispatch Console sessions that are in use at any given time.
Ordering Information
Organizations can broadly deploy and install Cisco IPICS Dispatch Console clients on user PCs. As organization needs evolve, additional licenses of Cisco IPICS Dispatch Console can be purchased and added, thereby allowing customers to grow and scale deployments over time.
Using the Cisco Lifecycle Services approach, Cisco and its partners provide a broad portfolio of end-to-end services and support that can help increase your network's business value and return on investment. This approach defines the minimum set of activities needed, by technology and by network complexity, to help you successfully deploy and operate Cisco technologies and optimize their performance throughout the lifecycle of your network.
For More Information
For more information about the Cisco IPICS, visit http://www.cisco.com/go/ipics or contact your local account representative.
