NEC Software Solutions has launched software designed to revolutionise the dispatch of emergency services teams.
NEC Software Solutions is the new name for APD Communications, the leading supplier of software to emergency services, control rooms and other public safety sectors.
APD was acquired by NEC Corporation, one of the world’s most advanced and innovative technology businesses, in 2019. Now, adoption of the renowned NEC brand signals the beginning of an exciting new era for the business.
NEC Corporation is a global leader in advanced IT and network technologies that benefit businesses, public organisations and people across the world. The rebranding of APD enhances NEC’s presence in the UK, where it already has its European head office.
NEC Software Solutions has marked the rebrand by launching groundbreaking control-room software that will help emergency services organisations save lives and keep communities safe.
The cutting-edge Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) product, named Dispatch, takes control rooms to a new level of operational efficiency and performance. When every second counts, Dispatch gives operators the tools to manage incidents better than ever before.
The cloud-based software has been developed with input from control room operators who are best placed to understand what is required to respond as effectively and rapidly as possible to emergency incidents and protect the public.
It enables dispatchers and call handlers to prioritise and record incident calls, identify the status and location of resources, and dispatch them effectively to incidents.
NEC Software Solutions Director of Control Room, Rhiannon Beeson, said: ‘With our new name we have become even closer to our parent company, which has a long and proud history of taking pioneering technologies from concept to reality.
‘We will benefit from the NEC global brand and access to NEC’s financial firepower and investment in world-class technological innovations.
‘That means we are able to accelerate our development and deployment of game-changing technologies, such as Dispatch, that enable our customers in the emergency services and critical control sectors to serve and protect the public and, ultimately, save lives.’
Dispatch enables two-way information sharing between front-line responders and control-room operators, can be accessed from any location, and is integrated with the Police National Computer, which stores criminal records information across the UK.
The software also identifies duplicate incidents and enables the easy sharing of information with colleagues within the control room as well as other agencies.
Dispatch is the latest of NEC’s cloud-based applications on its Public Safety OS platform, so it seamlessly integrates with Maps and Stream to provide a truly unique control room solution.
Maps enables blue-light teams to reach locations rapidly with pinpoint accuracy, while Stream provides unparalleled visibility from emergency incidents by streaming video from 999 callers.
Dispatch is also integrated with other complementary NEC Software Solutions’ software, including its renowned Integrated Communications Control System (ICCS) Cortex, and CRM, Aspire, as well as Connect, a records management system, which supports police to act rapidly and effectively by providing instant access to accurate, logical and consistent information. This helps to assess threat, harm and risk in real time, reducing manual work and quickly directing resources to where they are needed most.
Rhiannon Beeson added: ‘Our new Dispatch software has been built with control room employees’ feedback throughout the development process to ensure it is the very best it can be at an operational level, meeting the needs of the emergency services now and into the future.
‘This is a truly next-generation solution which will revolutionise how control-room teams dispatch resources to incidents. It pulls data from multiple sources in real time and presents them on one screen, integrating seamlessly with other systems to provide a full end-to-end control room solution and deliver enhanced operational efficiency.
‘All of this means control-room teams are better informed and equipped than ever before to protect people and communities.’
Dispatch is also compatible with TETRA and LTE networks, which gives control rooms confidence that it will integrate to Emergency Services Network (ESN), a new, state-of-the-art communications network for the UK’s emergency services, meaning organisations that adopt it are perfectly placed for the transition to this revolutionary platform.
The technology’s many other features and benefits include:
- The ability to manage the full lifecycle of an incident, from creation to dispatch and reporting.
- Control-room colleagues can be tagged in an incident log to enlist their support or input, without the operator losing concentration on the call.
- Operators can see who is on shift and available to respond, as well as the skillsets and assets they can deploy.
- A diary appointment function, enabling control rooms to book officers’ time for non-emergency callouts.
Dispatch has been launched to UK police forces initially, with further functionality to be developed to meet the requirements of fire and rescue, ambulance and coastguard control rooms, and future plans for the technology to be rolled out internationally.
Naoki Yoshida, Senior Vice President at NEC Corporation, said: ‘We regard NEC Software Solutions as an important part of our global business. We are proud of the company’s success and excited for the future as we continue to work with the team to drive innovation across the sector under the new company name.’
NEC Software Solutions technology is used by every UK police force, as well as other emergency services organisations.
For more information about NEC Software Solutions, visit www.necsws.com
To find out more about Dispatch, go to www.necsws.com/cad
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