Cisco Cisco IPICS Release 4.5 Data Sheet

Data Sheet

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Cisco IPICS Policy Engine

Product Overview

Cisco

IPICS Policy Engine enables operations managers to create policies for standard operating

procedures—including talk group establishment and user notification—and then activate those

policies with a single click. Cisco IPICS Policy Engine also enables public switched telephone

network (PSTN) dial-in and dial-out.

Capabilities include:

●

Policy definition: The agency defines its policies using an intuitive, Web-based interface

(Figure 1). Policies reflect standard operating procedures, including which groups need to

communicate, when, and on what devices. A fire department, for example, might define

separate policies for residential fires, hazmat response, and methamphetamine lab fires

(Figure 1). The policy includes notification methods for each individual, including radio, cell

phone, PSTN phone, Cisco Unified IP phone, Cisco IPICS Push-to-Talk Management

Center (PMC) client, pager, e-mail, or Short Message Service (SMS) text message. (Some

notification methods require a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol [SMTP] gateway.)

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One-click policy invocation: When an incident occurs, the dispatcher or Cisco IPICS

administrator can activate the policy from any Web browser—in the command center,

another building, or even from home. Dispatchers who do not have access to the Web can

activate the policy from a phone by dialing a number and then entering the code for that

policy. Policies can also be activated automatically at a certain time of day—when an

agency conducts a drill, for example. When the policy is activated, the Cisco IPICS Policy

Engine automatically:

◦

Notifies each participant

◦

Sets up a virtual talk group; personnel who dial in with cell phones or PSTN phones enter

an authentication code; the policy can stipulate that certain participants be included in

listen-only mode

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Notification tracking: The Cisco IPICS Policy Engine keeps a record of notification status so

that the dispatcher can determine which people were reached and are available. For

example, personnel might enter “1” on their keypads if they are available or “2” if they are

not available. Real-time notification tracking helps incident commanders determine whether

more personnel are needed from outside the area.

Figure 1. One-Button Activation of Predefined Incident Communications Plans