AtHoc Unified Notification Server gets Government Security News' Homeland Security Award

AtHoc, Inc., the company in network-centric emergency mass notification systems has been awarded the Government Security News' (GSN ) 2010 Homeland Security Award for AtHoc IWSAlerts Unified Notification Server (AtHoc UNS) Integrated with Cisco (News - Alert) Unified Communications Manager (UCM).

According to the press release, the U.S. Coast Guard received a GSN award for its enterprise-wide Alert and Warning System 2.0, which is based on AtHoc IWSAlerts network-centric emergency mass notification technology. The pairing of Cisco's unified communication technology with AtHoc UNS offers a comprehensive mass notification solution for customers. When a customer triggers an emergency notification through AtHoc UNS, the message is communicated through all IP-enabled alerting devices including audio-visual alerts to Cisco IP Phones.  The IP Phone (News - Alert), via its speaker and display, effectively serves as an alerting device that blasts alerts to every room in a facility. Communication is bi-directional, allowing each IP Phone to capture response from the recipient and communicate it to the operator, thereby providing operators with real-time accountability for all personnel

Dubhe Beinhorn, vice president of Alliances and Channels at AtHoc said that AtHoc's ability to integrate with Cisco UCM and IP phones enables Cisco customers to leverage their Cisco VoIP technology for a critical life safety application of mass notification and the company had a great deal of success delivering value to customers through this integration, which results in a comprehensive, seamless solution that transforms all Cisco IP phones into an audio/visual indoor public address system that fulfills emergency mass communication requirements.

AtHoc's innovative solution represents the evolution of mass notification technology to a third generation able to leverage existing IP networks to (a) communicate emergency information rapidly to all connected devices; (b) integrate and unify disparate existing mass notification capabilities; (c) provide bi-directional communication allowing collection of feedback from all personnel; and (d) achieve enterprise-level scalability and processes. 

The result is the most effective enterprise-wide mass notification capability with the best cost-to-benefit ratio.

AtHoc net-centric mass notification systems are protecting more than 2 million military and federal government personnel. AtHoc's enterprise level life safety systems are deployed across entire U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, multiple U.S. Air Force Major Commands and many other government and commercial organizations.

In other company news, TMCnet reported that AtHoc, Inc. has appointed of Ketan Joshi as vice president of new markets and corporate development.