Cassidian Communications Participates in ESInet Connection Trials to Advance Public Safety Communications in Texas

TEMECULA, CA--(Marketwired - Aug 20, 2013) - Cassidian Communications, an EADS North America company, has successfully achieved Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) Emergency Services IP Network (ESInet) connectivity during ESInet trials in conjunction with the Texas Commission on State Emergency Communications (CSEC) and the Brazos Valley Council of Governments (BVCOG).

Cassidian Communications has been at the forefront in its support for NG9-1-1, the NENA i3 standard and ESInet connectivity. "We are very pleased to have participated in this important trial, providing hardware, software and technical support to BVCOG for this project from its inception in January 2012 to its recent completion," said Bob Freinberg, CEO, Cassidian Communications.

"What we have accomplished is very important to us and the public safety community," said Anita Pitt, 9-1-1 program manager for BVCOG. "It means we are one step closer to proving we can connect to a state ESInet and be ready when the time comes to go live. It is very exciting to be a part of this successful proof of concept."

"We greatly appreciate the participation of BVCOG in our E9-1-1 Grant Project, CSEC's first office application of an ESInet," said Susan Seet, Chief Program Technical Officer for CSEC. "Two BVCOG Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) participated in the final testing phase of the Project, with the support of the NG9-1-1 call taking equipment from Cassidian Communications."

An important activity that occurred behind the scenes of the ESInet connection trials was getting the data used for call-routing NG9-1-1-ready. NG9-1-1 and the NENA i3 standard change how call routing and record validation occur, using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data instead of traditional Automatic Location Information and Master Street Address Guide (MSAG). GIS data is used because it offers greater capability and can be maintained at the source of addressing information.

When asked about the preparation efforts, Pitt said BVCOG worked for more than a year to get the GIS data ready. "This was very important to us because we wanted the data we routed to be up to the standards," said Pitt.

Pitt also said the process included making 9-1-1 test calls using a special 3-digit number and seeing them route through the components of the state ESInet, to PSAPs using Cassidian Communications' NG9-1-1 call taking equipment.

"Being able to test with two PSAPs was exciting," said Pitt. "We wanted to prove we could transfer calls from the Burleson County Sheriff's Office to Brenham Emergency Communications over the state ESInet and then route to a legacy PSAP. We had good quality with every test call and I'm glad we did it."

About Cassidian Communications (www.CassidianCommunications.com)
Cassidian Communications, an EADS North America company, is a global leader and trusted source for mission-critical communications technologies, including NG9-1-1 call taking systems, emergency notification solutions and services, and P25 land mobile radio networks and LTE. For over four decades, Cassidian Communications has upheld its promise to keep people connected when it matters most, consistently designing solutions with an open mind and creating smarter, more effective ways to ensure communities are safe. For Cassidian Communications, CRITICAL MATTERS^™. The company is headquartered in Temecula, Calif., with facilities located in Richardson, Texas, Franklin, Tenn. and Gatineau, Quebec.

About EADS North America (www.eadsnorthamerica.com)
EADS North America is the U.S.-based operation of EADS, a global leader in aerospace, defense, and related services. EADS contributes more than $14 billion to the U.S. economy annually and supports over 225,000 American jobs through its network of suppliers. EADS North America, headquartered in Herndon, Va., offers a broad array of advanced solutions to meet U.S. military and commercial requirements, including fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, homeland security systems, public safety communications, defense electronics and avionics, and threat detection systems.