Avaya Communications Network to Link 30,000 Washington, D.C Government Employees and Save Over $10 Million Annually
WASHINGTON - The District of Columbia has selected a new converged communications solution from Avaya for a citywide voice network that will support 30,000 government employees. The voice network is Section 508 compliant (access for the disabled) and not only supports TTY devices used by the people who are deaf or hard of hearing, but also provides speech-access capabilities for people with visual disabilities. DC-Net is a municipally owned, fiber-optic network and telecommunications system.
When the installation is completed the network will centralize communications for more than 60 D.C. government agencies and 360 individual sites. In addition, previous investments the city made in Integrated Service Digital Network (ISDN) telephones will be preserved since the Avaya solution supports a variety of communication protocols.
According to district managers in the Office of the Chief Technology Officer, the real financial driver for DC-NET is the voice telephony network Avaya is providing, which is allowing the District to replace a more costly solution and to gain higher capacity, greater functionality and flexibility. For example, the city can use traditional TDM voice connectivity or evolve to IP telephony when ready, while supporting phones in its current inventory.
The DC-Net voice network is based on the Avaya Communication Manager IP telephony software. The software provides features supporting collaboration, public safety and business productivity, including voice mail, on-demand conferencing, and call trace/crisis alert. The Extension to Cellular capability allows callers to reach mobile DC-Net users anytime, anywhere using a single contact number. The software also provides a voice and data platform for IP desktop phones and wireless devices, as well as the Avaya IP Softphone, a software application that allows users to access calling features from a laptop computer, PC or PDA. Avaya Communication Manager is Section 508 compliant, supporting TTY devices used by the people who are deaf or hard of hearing and providing speech-access capabilities for people with visual disabilities.
The city is deploying four sets of Avaya Media Servers that host and distribute Communication Manager to users across the city. The units are geographically separated and provide fail-over capabilities to keep the DC-NET voice network up and running in the event of a disruption to a location or server. Each server is protected with a power supply, standby generators and a cooling system.
To support emergency response needs and special events, the city has an Avaya Mobile Communication Network, a system for establishing a remote voice and data network. The solution features the same communications capabilities used in sophisticated office settings—packaged in a rugged, portable case that can be transported and deployed in minutes. The mobile network supports both wired and wireless LAN capabilities and Virtual Private Network (VPN) technology. As a result, it enables secure, high-speed email and data applications, as well as messaging, conferencing and other Communication Manager voice applications.
The installation of Avaya's converged communications network for DC-NET is supported by a team of technicians from Avaya Global Services, a group of more than 7,000 specialists experienced in the design, deployment, protection, maintenance and management of enterprise communications.