D-TDMA To The Rescue
The worst case scenarios always have to be taken into account when BCS or disaster recovery blueprints are taking shape. After the primary network crashes, the back-up network has to light up immediately, and it not only has to be ready to move traffic on a priority basis, but it has to do so seamlessly.
The Reston, VA-based company, iDirect, offers a BCS solution based on its advanced broadband router technology known as the Netmodem, which incorporates its Deterministic-TDMA or D-TDMA technology. With the Netmodem, iDirect supports VoIP and data simultaneously using advanced queuing techniques. During catastrophic events, when network congestion can be excessive, iDirect's D-TDMA technology offers a way to avoid the logjam.
SES Americom and Shared Data Networks are two companies that offer BCS using the iDirect solution. "This is all about a more effective approach to BCS in general, while giving users the ability to design their own networks based on their specific applications," says Sasmith Reddi, director of systems engineering at iDirect. "We can prioritize based on the application, whether it is voice, video or another application, and provide QoS either at the IP level or at the application level."
Oversubscribing the network and then providing guarantees is not rocket science. While the convergence of satellite technology and VoIP, for example, happened years ago, the team at iDirect is looking to go one step further with a Frequency Hopping (FH) solution that will add increased efficiencies to both the primary network and the back-up network using D-TDMA.
"As the number of remote sites grows, there is a need to create more efficient services, and to support multiple applications with carriers operating at different speeds. At the same time, this allows the remotes to use any carrier as demand dictates," says Reddi. "For example, video, voice and data applications from a disaster site can be efficiently supported on-demand using FH technology by enabling remotes to burst to carriers with available capacity."
Many scenarios must be addressed both from the standpoint of assigned bandwidth and rapid switching. Voice, video and data crisis models need to be examined with infinite flexibility in mind.
"Our remote terminal is a one-box solution that includes an IP router, satellite modem, QoS, link encryption and TCP acceleration," says Reddi. "Link encryption can be assigned to any or all remote sites over the same network using dynamic key exchange. This can be done whether the network in question is private IP, public IP or closed."
Providing The Right Space On The Ground
When it comes to BCS or disaster recovery, a well-equipped and well-connected workspace on the ground is essential. This is especially true when it comes to call centers. Hauppauge, NY-based Globecomm Systems Inc. and Agility Recovery--formerly GE Capital IT Solutions Disaster Recovery Services--have teamed up to offer this type of specialized back-up capability.
"The new contract supplements an existing contract that allowed businesses to recover in the event that a facility was destroyed or damaged by providing trailers with work stations and connecting by satellite through to our teleport for connection to company databases and the public switched telephone network," says David Hershberg, CEO of Globecomm Systems.
Large insurance companies, for example, are aware that Globecomm Systems Inc. and Agility Recovery recently demonstrated their capability to restore and recover a call center with almost 400 seats, including voice, automatic call distribution, interactive voice response and all application databases.
Dual Ku-band satellite links on GE 3 were engaged as Globecomm's teleport beamed phone traffic to a pair of frame relay networks with one network dedicated to call center data, and the other carrying application data to an insurance company's corporate headquarters. The aggregation, optimization and prioritization of all VoIP traffic went smoothly, due to Globecomm's proprietary techniques.
"We are now providing automated call distribution software for operating a call center. The system we offer is a completely IP-based system with data and VoIP. This is very effective because the bandwidth is shared between voice and data and efficiently uses satellite bandwidth," Hershberg adds. "Full remote switching on site is built in as well."
According to Hershberg, this offering is very cost effective because the customer only pays a nominal amount to have it available and an additional cost if it has to be activated. "The system we announced is very sophisticated because it allows a customer to put back in service a call center for its customers in 24-hours. Other requirements we are seeing are for a complete overlay of a satellite network between enterprise and government locations," Hershberg says. "Over the past year, it was apparent that many more companies and the U.S. government are more interested in these services."
Satellite Solutions Alone Will Not Work
Like everyone else, the satellite industry is looking toward the next emergency or disaster with a shared sense that much has been done to make the job of infrastructure restoration and disaster recovery quicker and easier for both the public and private sectors.
As noted above, there are still gaps in terms of what constitutes the national blueprint, and the overall effectiveness of the planning to date gets mixed reviews. The challenges are enormous and the satellite industry by itself cannot be expected to provide all the answers.
By encouraging further dialog and cooperation, the satellite industry can help forge a more flexible and more effective response when the time comes. Given the dire fiscal condition of many states and local municipalities and the slow pace of federal funding, the satellite service providers and hardware vendors have to be patient, innovative and willing to work closely with decisionmakers at all levels to really make a difference in the long run.
Peter J. Brown is Via Satellite's Senior Multimedia & Homeland Security Editor. He lives on Mount Desert Island, ME.
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