Cisco Cisco IPICS Release 1.0 Information Guide
Cisco IP Interoperability and Collaboration System (IPICS)
Case Study
Cisco ERT conduct drills with agencies, such as the San Jose and Milpitas Fire and Police Departments, the Santa
Clara County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Agency, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), and
the Stanford Hospital Air Ambulance.
Clara County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Agency, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), and
the Stanford Hospital Air Ambulance.
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Figure 2.
The Cisco SFOC manages incidents 24 hours a day using Cisco IPICS
Before the Cisco Internet Protocol Interoperability and Collaboration System
(IPICS), the Cisco SAS and Cisco ERT teams’ primary means of communications
was through a hybrid conventional and trunked very high frequency (VHF) Land
Mobile Radio (LMR) system, often known as Push-to-Talk (PTT) radio. Pager and
mobile phone Short Message Service (SMS) messages served as secondary
communication modalities. Cisco provides radios to every mobile security officer
and Cisco ERT volunteers in each building on campus. Other large Cisco facilities in
the United States use a similar strategy.
(IPICS), the Cisco SAS and Cisco ERT teams’ primary means of communications
was through a hybrid conventional and trunked very high frequency (VHF) Land
Mobile Radio (LMR) system, often known as Push-to-Talk (PTT) radio. Pager and
mobile phone Short Message Service (SMS) messages served as secondary
communication modalities. Cisco provides radios to every mobile security officer
and Cisco ERT volunteers in each building on campus. Other large Cisco facilities in
the United States use a similar strategy.
This strategy, however, had severe limitations. First, traditional dispatch systems
require dedicated point-to-point circuits—T-1 lines, for example—between the
central dispatch facility and Cisco offices where SAS and ERT teams are located.
Because Cisco SFOCs in San Jose and Raleigh, North Carolina are responsible for
require dedicated point-to-point circuits—T-1 lines, for example—between the
central dispatch facility and Cisco offices where SAS and ERT teams are located.
Because Cisco SFOCs in San Jose and Raleigh, North Carolina are responsible for
local dispatch at theses campuses and also for numerous Cisco offices in the western and eastern parts of the
country, respectively, traditional dispatch deployment is expensive, slow, and cumbersome.
country, respectively, traditional dispatch deployment is expensive, slow, and cumbersome.
In addition, before IPICS, Cisco SAS could not accommodate failover or collaboration between dispatch centers. That
is, if an emergency shut down a dispatch center, another center could not easily take over for it. For example, if a
hurricane forced the closure of the Cisco Raleigh SFOC, all East Coast safety and security operations would be
affected. Similarly, an earthquake in the San Francisco area would disrupt all western operations.
is, if an emergency shut down a dispatch center, another center could not easily take over for it. For example, if a
hurricane forced the closure of the Cisco Raleigh SFOC, all East Coast safety and security operations would be
affected. Similarly, an earthquake in the San Francisco area would disrupt all western operations.
Finally, any enhancement or modification to the Cisco radio system intended to provide greater interoperability would
require the entire radio infrastructure to be replaced at one time. As a result, incremental enhancements to the
communications infrastructure were generally discouraged.
require the entire radio infrastructure to be replaced at one time. As a result, incremental enhancements to the
communications infrastructure were generally discouraged.
Cisco deployed the IPICS solution to address these critical concerns.
Solution
Cisco IPICS is comprehensive emergency response backbone at Cisco offices across the United States, Europe,
and Asia Pacific. Whether a scenario involves an earthquake, medical emergency, or building evacuation triggered
by a fire alarm, Cisco IPICS helps ensure rapid response from SAS and ERT teams as well as facilitates information
flow to other relevant groups, such as Human Resources or the senior-management-level Corporate Crisis
Management Team (CCMT).
and Asia Pacific. Whether a scenario involves an earthquake, medical emergency, or building evacuation triggered
by a fire alarm, Cisco IPICS helps ensure rapid response from SAS and ERT teams as well as facilitates information
flow to other relevant groups, such as Human Resources or the senior-management-level Corporate Crisis
Management Team (CCMT).
Meshing Cisco IPICS with the current Cisco LMR system has greatly extended the power and reach of LMR,
making it far more convenient to use. IPICS enables Cisco to link its LMR emergency-response system to almost all
forms of communication such as IP, cell, and landline phones as well as paging systems—turning these
familiar networks into extensions of the LMR system.
making it far more convenient to use. IPICS enables Cisco to link its LMR emergency-response system to almost all
forms of communication such as IP, cell, and landline phones as well as paging systems—turning these
familiar networks into extensions of the LMR system.