Richmond Alarm - Custom Voice Communications and Alarm Monitoring System
The Challenge:
Richmond Alarm, a large, mission critical 24/7/365 alarm monitoring center needed an experienced telecommunications company to move their sophisticated telecom infrastructure to their new headquarters and provide a platform to deploy advanced alarm services. Downtime could not be tolerated. Also, the alarm industry and carriers warn that VOIP can degrade signals from customer’s alarm monitored homes and businesses. Thus, the customer required a company who has experience in both traditional and IP telephony. VOIP computer integrators need not apply.
The Utility Solution:
Infotel Systems had a very complex job documenting several hundred voice, fax, modem, DID and alarm monitoring telephone numbers (multiple carriers) into their utility database. The data was further scrubbed using Infotel’s proprietary www.testcall.com platform.
A pure classic digital ISDN (not SIP!) call path was designed to process all voice and alarm calls. The utility move had no unscheduled downtime and just a move delay of 20 numbers that were answered with a move failure backup plan.
The System Solution:
Infotel custom designed a fully redundant Iwatsu ECS PBX with reliable digital phones and the mandatory non-IP interface to their alarm monitoring receivers.
Unified messaging provides voice mail messages as audio WAV files and faxes as PDF images to their email inboxes and smart phones.
Integrated 12 port audio conference provides Caller ID reports on internal and external parties who have attended.
As a fully CSTA/Tapi compliant system, the Iwatsu ECS can provide the required screen-pops and related CTI integration into their proprietary back office systems.
Call recording and archival of all telephone calls from ring to hang-up.
Benefits:
- Rock solid 24/7/365 design passed rigorous UL standards for an alarm monitoring center.
- Voice and alarm calls have a 100% digital ISDN call path (not IP packets) and thus have no VOIP signal degradation.
- Designed 10+ years lifespan of solution provides outstanding value for customer.
- Utility bills dropped by almost $8000/mo providing a great return on investment.
System Reliability Features
- Dual PRI call path allows for facility failure.
- Two IP networked Iwatsu ECS PBX systems can run independently if one PBX fails.
- All call endpoints (phones, fax, alarm receivers, etc) split between independent PBX systems.
- Dual independent battery backup allows for utility and generator failure.
- “Legendary Reliability” Iwatsu PBX hardware combined with telecom hardened “Wind River”* Operating Systems
