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S A F E T Y S E R V I C E S

C A S E S T U D Y

Large Corporate Client

Finding time to address E9-1-1 for your unified communications network can

be challenging. Often, organizations take the opportunity to evaluate their

E9-1-1 status and solution options when upgrading or replacing their existing

communications infrastructure. Our client, a large corporation, was in precisely this

situation when they came to us looking for an E9-1-1 solution.

E9-1-1 CHALLENGES

With an aging voice infrastructure, the client was implementing Microsoft’s Skype

for Business solution to take advantage of the rich UC feature set it delivers.

However, the current E9-1-1 solution in place servicing their existing deployment

was unable to support Skype for Business’ next-generation, location-aware

endpoints. The client was looking for an E9-1-1 solution that could address three

primary requirements:

• The ability to support Skype for Business’ location-aware endpoints.

• Easy-to-use, reliable, and instantaneous location validation.

• Direct connectivity to multiple Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) across

the US, without requiring local trunks and gateways at each location or the

intervention of an intermediary call center for on-premises users.

E9-1-1 SOLUTION

Having attempted to implement an alternative E9-1-1 solution from their existing

E9-1-1 vendor, the client turned to West. West’s Emergency Routing Service (ERS)

is one of the first E9-1-1 services qualified for Microsoft Lync/Skype for Business

under the Unified Communications Open Interoperability Program (UCOIP); in

fact, our ERS solution for Skype for Business was developed in conjunction with

Microsoft. With a large roster of current customers of all types and sizes having

deployed our ERS for Skype for Business, the client was confident that West and its

service-focused deployment team could implement a fully functional E9-1-1 solution

to keep their users safe.

The ERS met the client’s primary requirements head-on:

Support for Skype for Business’ Location-Aware Endpoints

Microsoft Skype for Business is unique in that its endpoints are location-aware.

This means that the caller’s location is included in the SIP header when 9-1-1 is

dialed. West’s ERS extracts the location data from the PIDF-LO included in the

SIP signalling, and uses it to determine the appropriate PSAP for call routing.

There is no need to modify different fields in the SIP signalling to enable this

capability; the ERS interoperates with Skype for Business’ standard signalling.

This interoperability – based on documented standards – enabled the client to

establish operational E9-1-1 call routing within a matter of hours as compared to

weeks and months of trial and error.

SPOTLIGHT ON DEPLOYMENT SERVICES

Critical to the success of each and every

one of our customer implementations

is West’s Integration and Deployment

team. Chad Taylor is one of West’s most

experienced team members, and worked

with our client to get their E9-1-1 service

up and running in the span of a week.

Beyond simply implementing the service,

Chad makes sure that his counterparts

in every organization he works with finish

their E9-1-1 deployment with the tools

and confidence they need to successfully

manage their new solution. “When

customers start rolling out our Emergency

Routing Service, they might feel like they

have a big job ahead. I try to make the

experience feel more manageable so

by the end of the deployment, they’re

amazed at how much they got

accomplished so quickly.”

Having personally implemented E9-1-1

service for numerous organizations,

Chad understands the myriad challenges

his customers face, and shares this

experience with them to facilitate a

smooth process for all involved parties.

Chad is also engaged with Microsoft

through its TechReady event program

to help support and train their engineers

when it comes to E9-1-1.

Location Validation

Location validation is the process by which a location is

compared to the Master Street Address Guide (MSAG),

and is confirmed to meet the necessary address standards.

MSAG validation is a critical component of any E9-1-1

solution, because it ensures that a 9-1-1 call will be routed

to the correct PSAP and that accurate, properly formatted

location information will appear on the PSAP dispatcher’s

screen. West’s ERS interoperates with Skype for Business’

Location Information Service (LIS) to pre-validate all of the

organization’s locations. This ensures that at the moment a

call is placed on the premises, the caller’s accurate, MSAG-

valid location can be embedded in the SIP header. Because

the ERS seamlessly integrates with the LIS, the client was

able to validate their locations immediately, and resolve any

addressing errors as soon as they occurred.

Direct Connectivity to PSAPs across the US

West’s ERS boasts the most complete E9-1-1 coverage

of any service provider on the market. With just a single

redundant SIP trunk to our ERS, the client was able to

harness this coverage for their own network. Additionally,

because of its MSAG validation process, the ERS can

provide direct connectivity to the PSAP when a user places

a call from an on-site location. An off-site user who places a

9-1-1 call is first routed to a call center to confirm their self-

provisioned location, and then connected to the appropriate

PSAP. This ensures that their call is not delivered to an

incorrect PSAP due to an error in the self-provisioned

address.

How it Works

Emergency Routing Service

9-1-1Public Safety

SelectiveRouters

SIPMediationServer Pool

Front End ServerPool with LIS DB

Skype forBusiness Users

1 2 3 4

1. An endpoint makes a 9-1-1 call. The caller’s location, in PIDF-LO location format, is included in

the SIP invite.

2. The Front End Server applies the applicable call routing policies. It then forwards the call and

PIDF-LO location to the Mediation Server.

3. The Mediation Server routes the 9-1-1 call and PIDF-LO location to the ERS over the Internet,

using SIP. The ERS extracts the location from the PIDF-LO location included in the SIP

signaling to determine the appropriate PSAP for call routing.

4. The ERS delivers the call and the caller’s location information directly to the appropriate PSAP.

RESULTS

Upon selecting West’s ERS as their E9-1-1 solution for Skype for Business, the client secured

E9-1-1 support for their first location within a week. Since that deployment was successful,

additional sites have been added with more planned as they continue to roll out Skype for

Business across their enterprise.

WHY CHOOSE WEST

West's Safety Services is in the business of 9-1-1, but it’s also

personal. After all, we’re all potential consumers of the most

essential service anyone requires. We help carriers, alarm

companies and organizations of all sizes connect millions of

subscribers, employees, students and end users to the nearest

emergency assistance, and we arm thousands of public

safety agencies and first responders with critical data points

to locate those individuals and coordinate the best response.

As innovations emerge to make our lives more connected and

convenient, we focus on the ones that make us all safer.

Ready to learn more? Connect with us: west.com/safety-services, 877.862.2835 or safetyservices@west.com

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