April 2011
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25
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Zetron, Inc.
PO Box 97004
Redmond, WA 98073-9704
PRSRT STD
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Kirkland, WA
Permit No. 319
Delta Air Lines’ Operations Control Center in Atlanta, GA.
Zetron Deploys New 200-Position
Comm System for Delta Air Lines
Zetron’s Acom Equips Delta’s Expanding Ops Control Center
When you’re the largest airline in the world, you have countless
numbers of people, tasks and operations to manage, coordinate
and control. But that’s not all. Given the extent to which the
effects of a single glitch can ripple throughout your system, you
have to be able to respond nimbly, effectively and at the drop of a
hat.
These are the reasons Delta Air Lines recently obtained and
deployed a 200-position Zetron Advanced Communications
(Acom) System in its Operations Control Center (OCC) in Atlanta,
Georgia. They needed a system that could support the broad
scope and scale of Delta’s operations, which were expanding even
further to accommodate an influx of personnel from recently
acquired Northwest Airlines. They also needed a system that
would be rock-solid reliable, able to adapt to their unique needs,
and could be deployed on the tight deadline required to be ready
when former Northwest employees arrived at the OCC.
The Acom system that went fully live in March of 2010 was chosen
for its ability to meet all of these requirements. And from all
accounts, it is performing just as the customer had hoped it would
From crop-duster to world’s largest airline
Delta Airlines, which began under another name as an aerial
crop-dusting company in 1924, is currently the largest airline in
the world. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta serves more than 160
million customers per year, offers more than 13,000 flights daily,
and provides service to 564 destinations in 112 countries on six
continents. It has hubs in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit,
Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-JFK, Paris-Charles de
Gaulle, Salt Lake City and Tokyo-Narita.
The center point
Delta’s OCC is the central point through which all of the airline’s
operations are managed. This includes the airline’s flights,
maintenance and schedules, and any situations that arise to affect
them.
“We are the tactical operations of the airline,” says David Burton,
Delta Air Lines Manager of Operations Control, Technology
Services. “We run the flights, schedules, crews, and all aspects of
a flight on the day of the operation as well as the day before. We
manage all of the maintenance and make sure the flight crews and
passengers get where they need to be.”
“We also have to respond daily to the full range of changes and
challenges an airline has to deal with,” Burton continues. “This
includes factors as diverse and dynamic as weather, regulations,
air traffic, security events, fuel prices, plane maintenance and
repair issues, and even volcanic ash that might be affecting routes
we fly through. We have to ensure that we provide the product
that the airline is selling to the customer.”
Why a new communication system?
The main driver behind the need for a new communication system
in Delta’s OCC was the growth that would result from the purchase
of Northwest Airlines and the expansion of the OCC this would
necessitate.
“We liked the system we’d been using, but it couldn’t scale beyond
the capacity at which we were already running it,” explains Burton.
“It would be woefully inadequate to work for us as we needed it
to, given the merger with Northwest Airlines.”
Acom meets the criteria
Burton says that a thorough product analysis was undertaken to
determine which communications system would best meet their
needs. From this process, it soon became clear that Zetron’s Acom
was the system that most closely matched what they needed.
“Once we started looking at different systems, we decided Acom
was the one that best met our criteria,” he says. “It had the most
industry experience, as well as the capacity to handle the scale we
needed. It would also be able to interface with our existing radio
dispatch consoles, radios and PBX equipment. Another plus was
that the former Northwest employees had been using an Acom
system at their previous communications center, and they had
enjoyed using it very much. Because they were already dealing
with a huge amount of upheaval and change, we wanted to
mitigate this to the extent that we could. Their familiarity with the
system would help ease their transition to our OCC somewhat. ”
Burton says that yet another winning point was Zetron’s
willingness and ability to provide the technical expertise necessary
to adapt the system to meet Delta’s unique requirements and
extremely tight deadlines, despite the complexity of the project.
continued on back page
“Integrating our
existing PBX into
the Acom system
was an incredible
engineering feat…
Zetron’s engineering
team deserves kudos
for their ability,
persistence and
determination to do
what was necessary
to make the system
work.”
David Burton
Manager of Operations Control
Technology Services
Delta Airlines
Zetron, High Country Chosen for
Reliability and Local Support
Mitchell Co. Picks Zetron for Both Dispatch and 9-1-1 Call-Taking
“Zetron so outshone the others that it was an easy decision,” says
Wiseman. “During the demos, we asked the other vendors to do
several things they couldn’t. But when we asked Zetron to do the
same things, they were able to deliver them. This included some
functionality that was out of the ordinary. This showed us that
Zetron had the features and flexibility we were looking for.”
The installation Mitchell County chose included Zetron’s Series
4000 Communication Control System as their radio dispatch
console and Zetron’s Series 3300 VoIP Call-Taking System for 9-1-1
call taking.
Connecting to VIPER
The Series 4000 would also include Zetron’s Intelligent Radio
Interface Modules (iRIMs). This would extend the system’s
considerable interoperability even further.
“The iRIMs would allow us to interface their Series 4000 with
three different radio manufacturers’ equipment—Kenwood,
EF Johnson and Motorola,” says High Country Communications
president, Chris Bertolini. “Mitchell County was very pleased that
the iRIM would also connect them to the State Highway Patrol
VIPER [Voice Interoperability Plan for Emergency Responders]
public safety network through the EF Johnson radios.”
High Country Communications president Chris Bertolini tests Mitchell County’s
new Zetron equipment.
M
itchell County North Carolina’s 9-1-1 director, Stephanie
Wiseman, is both self reliant and resourceful. And it’s a good thing.
Because Mitchell County’s 9-1-1 center is in an isolated area, help
has not always been readily available when the communications
equipment in her center wasn’t running properly. To make matters
worse, the manufacturer of their dispatch system was no longer
supporting it. If the equipment had problems, Wiseman often had
to fix them herself.
I’m very happy with
our new Zetron
equipment…
I recommend it every
chance I get.”
Stephanie Wiseman
9-1-1 Director
Mitchell County, NC
This was not an optimal situation for a public safety answering
point (PSAP) that has to be functional at all times. So when
Mitchell County recently decided to obtain new dispatch and 9-11 systems, reliability and local support were high on their list of
requirements for the equipment. They also wanted a call-taking
system that would help prepare them for Next-Generation 9-1-1.
In late 2010, Mitchell County went live with Zetron’s Series 4000
radio dispatch and Series 3300 VoIP Call-Taking systems. According
to Wiseman, they are serving the PSAP even better than she’d
hoped they would.
Mitchell County
Mitchell County is located in western North Carolina in the Blue
Ridge Mountains, a range within the Appalachians that runs
from Georgia to Pennsylvania. Mitchell County covers an area of
approximately 220 square miles and has a population of roughly
16,000. Its largest town, Spruce Pine, has a population of about
2,000.
Mitchell County 9-1-1
The Mitchell County 9-1-1 center is responsible for answering
the county’s 9-1-1 emergency calls. They also dispatch regularly
for numerous county and municipal public-safety and lawenforcement agencies, and occasionally for state and federal
agencies.
‘Almost like family’
When Mitchell County decided to obtain new equipment for their
9-1-1 center, one condition in their request for proposals (RFP) was
that High Country Communications would be their ongoing service
provider, regardless of the equipment chosen for the project.
Thorough prep and a smooth implementation
The implementation of the new equipment, which took place
from May to September of 2010, went very smoothly, thanks to
thorough planning and preparation.
“To prepare for the installation, we moved their old equipment
into a different room and ran temporary cabling for it,” says
Bertolini. “This allowed them to keep operating while the
installation was underway. In addition, we staged the systems
and performed all of the programming and aligning in our office
before the final installation. Then we took the equipment down
to the center, put it in, wired in the new stations, and got them all
working.”
Training
Once the installations were completed, High Country provided
training on the new Series 4000 dispatch console in the updated
center while the old radio console was still running. Zetron
provided the training for the Series 3300 9-1-1 call-taking system.
“The training was easy to follow and geared to our level and
needs,” says Wiseman.
System refinements
Training on such systems not only helps operators learn how to
use them, but also gives those implementing the equipment
another opportunity to refine its set up and configurations.
“You always try to set up systems the way you think the customer
wants them,” says Bertolini. “But it’s not until the operators start
clicking around that you find out exactly what they want and need.
In this case, we made a number of changes to the systems based
on how the operators interacted with them during the training.”
‘I love the way it’s working’
The new equipment went live September 21, 2010. Stephanie
Wiseman has nothing but praise for it and High Country
Communications.
“Our situation is challenging because we seem to have problems
that no one else has,” she says. “But High Country works very well
with us. They respond quickly and positively. And they and Zetron
worked very well together on this installation. I’m very happy with
our new Zetron equipment, and I love the way it’s working,” she
adds. “I recommend it every chance I get.”n
With offices in both Linville and Lenoir, North Carolina, High
Country Communications designs, integrates and maintains
two-way radio, E9-1-1, and single-site and wide-area mobile
communications systems for customers throughout North Carolina
and Tennessee.
“We wanted High Country because they’re great to work
with―almost like family,” says Wiseman. “They’re attentive and
knowledgeable, and their office is close to us, so they can get to us
quickly when we need them.”
Zetron outshines the competition
When several equipment vendors were invited to give
demonstrations of their systems, Zetron emerged as the clear
choice.
When Are Two Zetron Systems Better Than One?
When you use Zetron systems for both your radio dispatch and
E9-1-1 call-taking, your equipment is easier to use and maintain.
Together, the two systems provide:
• An easy, one-stop solution for your equipment products
and services.
•Easy integration of your call-taking and dispatch systems.
• Similar user interfaces that are easier for your dispatchers
to learn and use.
2
Zetron’s VoIP RDS Provides High Quality,
Redundancy at Affordable Price
Karnes County, TX, Installs VoIP RDS at Two Agencies
It all began when the public safety answering point (PSAP) at the
Karnes County, TX, sheriff’s department decided to update their
radio dispatch equipment. As they explored their options with
Zetron reseller, S & P Communications, they made an important
discovery. For the amount it would cost to equip their PSAP with
a new, updated dispatch system and two console positions, they
would be able to purchase two separate systems―one for the
PSAP and one for their Emergency Operations Center (EOC) several
miles away. This would not only give Karnes County the updated
interoperability and expanded functionality they needed, but also
two separate, high-quality systems that would be able to back
each other up.
Karnes County, Texas
Karnes County has a population of about 15,500 and covers an
area of about 754 square miles. Once one of the poorest counties
in South Texas, Karnes County is now experiencing an economic
boom that’s making it one of the richest. This is due to the recent
discovery of a huge oil and natural gas reserve that spans an area
from south of San Antonio to Laredo.
Karnes County Dispatch and 9-1-1
Karnes County’s primary PSAP and dispatch center is located in
the Karnes County sheriff’s office. It provides 9-1-1 call taking for
the county and dispatching for three law-enforcement agencies,
four volunteer fire departments, the county emergency medical
services (EMS) agency and a private EMS company. It also provides
dispatching occasionally for several state agencies.
Key issues
When Karnes County started considering what they might want
and need in new dispatch equipment, several key issues came to
the fore.
“Our existing console was being used to capacity,” says Kenedy
police chief, Duane Dubose. Dubose, whose police department is
served by Karnes County 9-1-1, played a major role in the project.
“We needed more space and channel capacity,” he continues.
“We also hadn’t yet answered the big question, ‘What If?’ What
if the power at the PSAP goes out? What if the equipment fails?
We wanted new equipment that would give us the redundancy
necessary to make sure our operations would continue even if the
PSAP became inoperable for any reason.”
Interoperability was another key concern. They wanted new
equipment that would support cross patching between different
manufacturers’ radios. Without this capability, communication
between those using different radios can be virtually impossible.
“Several agencies and the local chemical plant use a UHF trunking
system,” says S & P Communications president, Nathan Sherman.
“If a problem comes up at any of these entities, it requires a
console that will allow the operator to patch their radio systems
over to the public-safety radio system so first responders can talk
directly to them.”
‘A good fit’
Karnes County chose Zetron’s VoIP RDS radio dispatch system for
the project for a number of reasons. For one thing, the system
offered the features and functionality Karnes County was looking
for. In addition, because of the system’s affordability, Karnes
County would be able to install one VoIP RDS at their PSAP and
another at their Emergency Operations Center (EOC).
“The Zetron VoIP consoles was very cost effective and a good fit for
Karnes County, says Sherman. “Plus, we’ve been installing Zetron
consoles for about 30 years, and we think Zetron makes the best
console on the market.”
The solution for Karnes County would include the two Zetron VoIP
RDS systems, the IP radio gateways necessary for each system, and
one operator console at each of the two locations.
Implementation
The equipment implementation began at the EOC where there was
no existing equipment to hinder their efforts. Once that installation
was completed, dispatching operations were moved to the EOC
while the other system was being installed at the PSAP.
Sherman explains how the two systems were set up to mirror
each other and why this was important: “At the PSAP, all of the
equipment was already set up with tone remote adapters,” he
says. “So at the EOC, we connected all the control stations through
tone remote adapters so the gateways at each site would be mirror
images of each other. This means that if there’s an equipment
failure at the PSAP, all we have to do to get them back up on the air
is go over to the EOC, grab the equipment, and take it over to the
PSAP.”
Dispatcher Amanda Fanning operates Karnes County’s new Zetron VoIP RDS console.
A unique benefit of VoIP RDS
Sherman says that Zetron’s VoIP RDS offers a benefit that he’s not
seen in other similar consoles: “Everybody says P25 standards
ensure that different P25 radios will work together. While
that’s true, it doesn’t guarantee that certain feature sets—like
Emergency Alert and PTT [Push-to-Talk] ID— will work together
across the bands. Zetron’s VoIP RDS digital radio gateway allowed
us to bring Emergency Alert and PTT-ID into Karnes County’s
consoles.”
“We’ve been installing Zetron
consoles for around 30 years…
and we think Zetron makes the best
console product on the market.”
Nathan Sherman
President, S & P Communications
These are important safety features. With Emergency Alert, a
law-enforcement officer or other first responder who needs
immediate help simply pushes a button on their radio, and it sends
an alert to the console for immediate assistance. With PTT-ID,
a push of the radio button communicates the first responder’s
identifying information to the console.
Results
Both Sherman and Dubose are pleased with the new equipment:
“I like Zetron’s VoIP RDS console better than any other console
we’ve ever installed,” says Sherman. “The audio quality coming off
of the digital radio gateway is outstanding. It’s so much crisper and
clearer. The system’s support for PTT-ID and Emergency Alert on
P25 are excellent features I’d expect to find only in a much more
expensive system.”
“The operators can hear everything so much more clearly,” adds
Dubose. “They don’t have to ask the officers to repeat things.”
Dubose also has advice for other agencies that might be
considering new equipment: “Anyone who’s looking at upgrading
shouldn’t assume the kind of equipment they need isn’t available
at an affordable price. I never would have thought we’d be able to
get two systems that would meet our needs and our budget.
But we did.”n
VoIP Radio Dispatch System
Zetron’s pure, end-to-end Voice-over-IP
(VoIP) radio dispatch console is built on the
widely accepted Session Initiation Protocol
(SIP) open standard.
Features:
Improved interoperability. Able to share
much of the infrastructure with a SIP
telephone system.
n
Improved survivability. It is inherently
distributed, so you don’t have to concentrate
equipment in a single, vulnerable site.
n
Flexible edge placement. Doesn’t require IP
connectivity all the way to the radio sites.
Helps prevent costly firewall traversal.
n
Reliable radio gateways. Designed for harsh
RF site environments – no moving parts, no
PC operating system.
n
An easy-to-use interface.
n
A cost-effective solution. Much less expensive
than traditional circuit-switched solutions.
n
Conformity with P25 Fixed Station Interface
(AFSI).
n
3
Zetron Deploys New 200-Position Comm System for Delta Air Lines
continued from front page
Phase I and Phase II
The system implementation was conducted in two phases. Phase
I involved demolishing and reconstructing Delta’s OCC, installing
about half of the Acom positions, and then populating them
with former Northwest Airlines employees. The OCC’s veteran
operators were temporarily moved to the OCC backup center,
where they used the legacy equipment to keep operations running
during this phase of the deployment.
Phase II involved implementing most of the remaining consoles,
and then moving Delta’s veteran operators from their legacy
system to the new Acom system. Zetron also provided extensive
operator training as part of Phase II. At the end of Phase II, 188
positions were active; the remainder would be phased in over
time.
Features:
Flexible architecture.
n
Supports P25 CSSI and DFSI.
n
Efficient, intuitive, configurable user interface.
n
Access to PSTN and PABX.
n
n
Radio dispatch for up to hundreds of operators.
Hotlines, intercom, and public address.
n
Network (LAN/WAN) interfaces and protocols.
n
VoIP.
n
Trunked-radio interfaces and protocols.
n
Overcoming challenges
Although the project posed some technical challenges, Burton says
these were all addressed successfully, thanks to Acom’s flexibility
and Zetron’s and Delta’s engineers’ skill and determination to
provide what the customer needed and the situation required.
“Integrating our existing PBX into the Acom system was an
incredible engineering feat,” he says. “Our PBX is so large that no
one could have foreseen the challenge this would pose. Zetron’s
engineering team deserves kudos for their ability, persistence
and determination to do what was necessary to make the system
work.”
Results
Delta’s new Acom system is now delivering the functionality,
reliability and expanded capabilities the airline was seeking.
“The Acom system provides a more modern user interface and
more capabilities than our legacy system,” says Burton. “It has a
really nice, customizable GUI. We’ve gotten a lot of compliments
about the screen design. We also make extensive use of the Webdial feature. It consists of Web pages that are set up with speeddial functionality. You touch a button or hotspot, and it dials your
phone.”
“Since overcoming some initial technical hurdles, the Acom system
has been extremely rock solid and reliable,” Burton continues.
“Zetron was absolutely spot-on in supporting and staying with us
and being very dedicated until every little issue that came up was
resolved. I’ve got nothing but high praise for them. In addition to
everything else, the system was delivered on an incredibly tight
deadline. Zetron did a terrific job.”n
Zetron’s MAX Dispatch
Wows ‘Em at IWCE!
Zetron’s booth at the recent International Wireless Communications
Expo (IWCE) in Las Vegas, March 9-11, was jammed packed and
buzzing with excitement.
“Based on what
I saw at IWCE, I
think MAX Dispatch
does an incredible
job of combining
innovation and
simplicity. It’s going
to make competitors’
heads spin.”
Howard Gadorus
Mercury Systems
The reason? Zetron’s new MAX Dispatch system, which was
announced at IWCE.
“The reaction to MAX was incredibly positive,” says MAX Dispatch
product manager, Jill Hostetter. “People lined up to watch the MAX
demos and talk to us about it. They were very impressed with its
innovative approach and the way it addresses the most common
problems faced by system operators and IT personnel. They told us
over and over again MAX Dispatch is exactly what they need.”
Key features of MAX Dispatch:
•Intelligent User Interface: Displays only information that’s needed
for a particular task or event. Reduces screen clutter.
•“IT EZ”: Automatically configures IP parameters within the local
network. Reduces IT labor. Helps prevent system conflicts.
•Built-in Network Monitor: Provides ongoing, real-time feedback.
Keeps users and technicians aware of conditions that could
degrade performance.
•Dual connections: Allow for complete, end-to-end network
redundancy. Keeps the system up even if the network goes down.
To view a MAX Dispatch system demo, go to www.zetron.com.
ZETRON FACTORY TRAINING
New Jersey NENA
4
Apr. 20 - 21, 2011
Atlantic City, NJ
Apr. 19 - 20, 2011 Apr. 26 - 28, 2011 May 4 - 5, 2011 May 9 - 11, 2011 May 12 - 13, 2011
May 23 - 25, 2011
May 26 - 27, 2011
Series 4000 - 2.5 days
Series 2000 - 3 days
IP FSA - 2 days
Series 3200 - 3 days
Series 3300 - 2 days
Series 4000 - 2.5 days
VoIP RDS - 2 days
The Advantage is published by Zetron, Inc.
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