Cisco intros IP-based dispatch and brings mobile video to first responders

SAN JOSE, USA: Further extending its Connected Physical Security portfolio, Cisco announced the Cisco IP Interoperability Collaboration System (IPICS) 4.0 to provide those on the front lines of safety and security with a new way to view, assess and coordinate action for an emergency situation.

An intelligent network system that integrates disparate push-to-talk radio together with voice, video, and data networks, Cisco IPICS 4.0 now puts the power of live mobile video and multimedia-enhanced communications into the hands of public safety officials and security personnel from universities and schools, critical infrastructure agencies, businesses, and other first-responder organizations.

Featuring newly integrated IP-based dispatch console and mobile client applications, IPICS 4.0 allows multiple safety and security organizations to quickly share vital incident information, including live mobile video, across previously isolated radio networks.

Cisco IPICS is tightly integrated with Cisco Connected Physical Security solutions with extensive built-in support for interoperability. Its Web services APIs can easily trigger or receive communications from Cisco Video Surveillance and Cisco Physical Access Control or third-party applications, further enhancing situational awareness, response time, operational efficiency and cross-agency collaboration during a critical event.

Cisco IPICS 4.0 Highlights:
* The IPICS Dispatch Console can integrate with virtually any analog or digital radio system and introduces rich-media incident management. Dispatchers are able to create a collaborative session to quickly share multimedia data such as video, photos, alarm monitoring and Web links with those on the scene, giving responders an invaluable level of detail and insight about an incident as it occurs.

* The IPICS Mobile Client allows first responders in the field to use their smartphone or other mobile device to participate in incident push-to-talk groups, share and receive rich media, including pictures, live and stored videos, and provide personal status updates to fellow incident responders and dispatchers.

* Cisco IPICS helps to break down communications silos among safety and security personnel, providing cost-effective and comprehensive communications interoperability between push-to-talk radio systems, mobile phones, IP phones and PC clients using proven IP standards across the network.

* Cisco IPICS is part of the Cisco Connected Physical Security portfolio, which provides organizations with a tightly integrated, modular, highly secure, scalable, network-centric solution to support integrated video surveillance, access control and incident response.