Getting the Whole Picture with Next Generation 911

摘要

Mapping and location finding technologies common to every smartphone are making their way to 911 emergency calls, letting first responders know exactly where to go and saving precious time that can be used to save lives. These capabilities are emerging in what's known as Next Generation 911, or NG911. They represent a fusion of mobile device applications and services that are being overlaid or built into these new emergency telecommunications systems that let police, paramedics and firefighters get to exactly where they need to be. Part of the change to NG911 technology is reflected by the major telecommunications carriers shifting away from their legacy databases and systems to session initiation protocol (SIP)-based systems. SIP is a signaling protocol used for initiating, maintaining and ending real-time sessions including voice, video and messaging applications. SIP is used for signaling and controlling multimedia communication sessions in Internet telephony applications for voice and video calls, private IP telephone systems, instant messaging over Internet Protocol networks and mobile telephone calls.