IBM and Cisco have jointly created a modular, umbrella framework called IBM and Cisco Public Safety Networks, designed to address safety and security planning, operations, and incident management. The IBM and Cisco Public Safety Networks suite of solutions to improve collaboration, coordination, and surveillance efforts for government agencies and private sector entities focused on security.

IBM and Cisco Public Safety Networks solutions make technology easy to use and information relevant, timely, and useful for daily operations, as well as for incident management. Today, two advanced network solutions are available from IBM and Cisco to meet public safety needs:

Command, Control and Collaboration (CCC)

Provides improved response capabilities through a unique communication and collaboration public safety framework that includes anytime, anyplace real-time information exchange and Cisco TelePresence functionality.

Customer challenges addressed by CCC:

• Improve communication between all parties involved in responding to situations
• Operate in a mobile environment anytime and anywhere
• Gain situational awareness and acquire clear incident information to support effective decisions about response tactics
• Maintain or restore operations during an emergency

Network Digital Video Surveillance (NDVS)

Enables the capture of real-time video and allows access to video archives in order to respond effectively to emergency situations, prevent and mitigate future emergencies, provide litigation support, and centralize control of agency assets.

Customer challenges addressed by NDVS:

• Improve quality of response and response time to a crime or disaster
• Gain control over remote areas that have proven difficult to monitor with police presence
• Minimize amount of time spent by police officers in court answering questions about an arrest or incident
• Raise quality of trial evidence —”video is a witness that cannot be intimidated”
• Improve safety of police officers in the field
• Reduce the complexity of capturing, transporting, accessing, archiving, sharing and maintaining digital video from cameras positioned around the city

Solution Resources

• Solution Brief: Public Safety Networks deliver real-time safety, security, operations, and incident management collaboration (PDF - 542KB)