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New solution for emergency paging

Emergency paging has entered a new era in South Africa with the launch of a sophisticated new DECT (digital enhanced cordless telephony) short message solution (SMS). This is according to Rob Browne, Ericsson Business Development Manager at Dimension Data Interactive Communications.

According to Browne, the new Ericsson DECT SMS solution is ideal for any environment in which teams and individuals have to be alerted in case of emergencies. This could range from production plants and the process industry to mines and hospitals.

Essentially DECT is a network of low-power radio basestations set up to provide coverage throughout a confined location such as an office campus, factory site or mine. Within this area users can make and receive calls with complete freedom, indoors and outdoors. As they walk around the workplace users are handed over from one radio basestation to another.

"The new Ericsson BC11 introduces an avenue for building DECT-based SMS applications. Customised SMS applications can be developed for a variety of connections, including the Internet or other external interfaces; e-mail, alarm inputs or contacts," Browne explains.

"The DECT handset on which the SMS message is received, can also initiate non-movement and pushbutton alarms to the SMS server, the server can then act upon the real-time alarm and distribute text message or start/stop external equipment," he adds.

DECT handsets which support reception of SMS text messages and sending of alarm messages are required for this application. The DECT resemble a cellular handset and offer talktime of around 20 h and standby time of 40 h.

For further details contact Rob Browne, Dimension Data Interactive on tel: (011) 208 2000.

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