Emergency-service call centres can now enjoy built in protection from obsolescence with Dictaphone's Freedom - based on an open architecture recording system.
This is the word from Michael Aitken, MD of specialist telecommunications distributor, Siltek Telecoms. "With storage technologies evolving at a rapid pace the only thing that is certain is that new technologies will continue to emerge," comments Aitken. "Freedom uses standard file access methods such as SMB, NFS and FTP which allow users to easily take advantage of any existing or anticipated future storage device."
"Furthermore, agencies are free to store their voice recordings on any network-attached storage device, giving them built in protection from obsolescence and total confidence in their investment," he adds.
Additionally, Freedom's plug-in telecommunications interfaces and operating system independent architecture means that Freedom can easily adapt, should an agency upgrade its phone system, operating system, or network.
"What this means for Emergency Services and Public Safety operations, is that Freedom provides more ways to access and share voice recordings than conventional recording systems. The network-ready design and standard audio file format make voice files accessible over any LAN/WAN, Internet or Intranet by using any multi-media PC," explains Aitken.
Moreover, the revolutionary modular recording design diverges from traditional recording systems in which the telecom interface and archive device are embedded in the recorder. The open architecture design allows easy adaptation to an agencies changing requirements over time and Aitken emphasises that as the operation grows, a higher capacity network-attached storage device can be selected without recording systems becoming obsolete.
The Freedom system consists of three separate components: a telecom module, a recording module, and an archive/playback station. The telecom module interfaces directly to a communication centre's phone system for direct digital recording thus eliminating the expense for handset couplers and digital-to-analogue conversation devices.
Freedom's modular architecture also means that the archive/playback station and recorder can be kept close-by in a supervisors office, although the telecom module is rack mounted or wall-mounted in the PBX, eliminating wiring problems.
The Freedom recording module stores compressed voice/data on a local hard drive for instant access. Storage space is economical as the two recording modules fit neatly in a standard 19-inch wide, 2U-high rack enclosure, or alternatively, a single recorder and telecom module can be packaged side by side.
The Freedom archive/playback station comes equipped with a 15-inch TFT flat panel monitor, and a DVD-RAM drive for centralised archiving of voice/data files. Using the workstation, users can retrieve and playback recordings from the recording modules hard disk, DVD-RAM, or any network-attached storage device. The workstation's Recorder Neighbourhood software is modelled after Microsoft's Network Neighbourhood and has a familiar look and feel.
"With the constant influx of calls, Freedom offers to relieve many communication-related headaches from operators of public safety recording systems. Users can now rest in the knowledge that the obsolescence proof investment not only allows greater access to voice recordings but also makes the transfer of tapes more effective," continues Aitken.
"The advanced call technology benefits Freedom users in terms of its easy-to-use architecture. This translates into a more refined and efficient public safety service for all," he concludes.
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Dictaphone
For over a century, the Dictaphone name has continued to be synonymous with excellence and innovation in business communications equipment. The company traces back to 1880, when Alexander Graham Bell was awarded the Volta Prize for inventing the telephone. It was the following year, that Bell, his cousin, Chichester Bell, a chemical engineer, and Charles Sumner Tainter, a scientist and instrument maker, took on their first team project, finding a practical way of recording sound for use with the newly invented telephone. Today, Dictaphone is a leader in the development, manufacture, marketing, service, and support of Integrated Voice and Data Management (IVDM) systems and software, which include dictation, voice processing, voice response, unified messaging, records management, court recording, call centre monitoring systems and communications recording. Dictaphone has a world-wide marketing, sales, service, and support organisation of more than 1,600 representatives in over 190 U.S. cities, the United Kingdom, Canada, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, France and Italy, and dedicated dealers in 40 other countries. Company sales revenues in 1995 were approximately $353 million and current market research indicates that Dictaphone holds over 65% of the global voice recording market.
Siltek Telecoms
Siltek Telecoms is a specialist telecommunications distributor within the Siltek Technology Supply Chain Group, and has agreements with some of the world's leading vendors. It is the master distributor for the AVAYA range of voice products and Active Voice Corporation's portfolio of PC-based voice processing systems and Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) solutions. Controlled by Kunene Technology Ltd, Siltek Telecoms is committed to becoming the supplier of choice for telecommunications VARS and independent resellers.
Siltek Limited
Siltek Limited is the leader in the Technology Supply Chain with projected turnover of R3-billion in the year to end-June 2000. Listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Siltek comprises several complementary operating divisions, each of which is a dominant player in its niche area.