Cisco extends P25 system safeguards

SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 10 (UPI) -- U.S. firm Cisco Systems is extending the interoperability of its P25 system to non-P25 voice systems.

The program is part of the public safety Project 25, or P25, project of open standards.

"The P25 Inter Sub-System Interface protocol in collaboration with EADS and Raytheon JPS. P25 was established to address the need for common digital public safety radio communications standards for first responders and homeland security and emergency response professionals," Cisco said in a statement.

"Cisco, Raytheon JPS and EADS are demonstrating that with radio networks supporting the P25 ISSI and Cisco IP Interoperability and Collaboration System (IPICS), customers can achieve a powerful, cost-effective and flexible system that increases overall public safety communications reliability and interoperability using a network of networks," the company said.

"With P25 ISSI and Cisco IPICS, spectrum-efficient solutions can be developed that increase the effective reach and coverage, flexibility and reliability of public safety communications by using a true network of networks," it said. "This approach utilizes P25 and non-P25 radio networks and devices, IP devices such as PCs, laptops and IP phones, utilizing wireless, broadband, fixed and satellite networks and telephony devices such as desk phones and cell phones.

"The power of the network of networks helps enable first responders to have the flexibility and tools they need for effective response and most importantly, allows public safety agencies to extend and modernize their existing radio networks so they work together with other existing and future communications networks and devices," Cisco said.

"The combination of the P25 ISSI protocol with IP-based open standards solutions such as Cisco IPICS is vital to achieve broader public safety communications interoperability," said Shmuel Shaffer, general manager of Cisco's safety and security systems business unit.

"With the P25 ISSI and Cisco IPICS, users ... will be able to tie together P25 and non-P25 radio systems in a robust way, communicate beyond the boundaries of radio systems with telephony and Internet devices and have the ability to support future migration and interoperability requirements at a fraction of the cost of a forklift upgrade," he said.