Offering Next-Generation Technologies in Emergency Management

DR. Raj Natarajan, Co-Founder, CEO, and CTO & Greg Ockelmann, VP of Sales and Operations

As commercial and military enterprises embark on this transformation, it becomes imperative to ensure the new systems not only meet but exceed the reliability and availability of the legacy technologies being phased out.

A leader in the secure communications and emergency response communications market segments for over three decades, Forum Communications International provides industry-leading, secure, real-time emergency alert and conferencing solutions along with intelligent peripheral products. The solutions are focused on user-friendliness, reliability, and robustness demanded by new-age emergency management systems.

“We are constantly refining our solutions to enable optimal outcomes for clients without sacrificing quality and reliability,” says Dr. Raj Natarajan, co-founder, CEO, and CTO of Forum Communications International.

Committed to Tailored Products

Forum started its journey in the early 2000s by providing cost-effective, fully featured, flexible, and scalable audio-conferencing solutions to organizations in the military space. When audio conferencing went mainstream, the company utilized its powerful hardware and software platform to provide emergency communication response systems to military airfields and commercial airports, replacing their antiquated airfield crash systems.

We are constantly refining our solutions to enable optimal outcomes for clients without sacrificing quality and reliability

“We have conducted extensive surveys and successfully adapted conventional conferencing technology into our system, resulting in instant alert and emergency notification capabilities. Unlike other systems that focus on mass notification and disaster recovery, we enable immediate communication,” says Natarajan.

Its expertise in analog and voice-over-IP telephony, audio systems, localized alerting systems, and land-mobile radio systems is complemented by a range of customized peripherals that cater to specific customer requirements. These include intelligent line modules, intelligent desk speakers, and smart button modules.

The intelligent line module empowers users with a seamless control over relays, facilitating immediate activation of vital equipment such as bay doors and lights. Forum’s intelligent desk speaker module is equipped with audio messages and customized tones to apprise operations personnel of emergency incidents. The smart button module is a versatile tool for activating remote displays. In emergency scenarios, it can be used to indicate vital details like airport runway numbers or facility locations. This information aids first responders in effectively responding to and managing events.

Forum is committed to tailoring products that align with the requirements of each customer, as opposed to equipping them with off-the-shelf solutions.

Localized alerting systems represent another area of expertise for Forum. They play a critical role in emergency situations, where timely and precise information dissemination is vital.

Forum’s expertise in land-mobile radio system integration makes Forum the primary choice in the field. The company excels at designing comprehensive and dependable communication networks for diverse emergency management scenarios, facilitating seamless communication among all the stakeholders, and fostering a synchronized and efficient response to emergencies.

“Our vision is to maintain long-term customer loyalty and global leadership in audio conferencing and emergency response solutions,” says Greg Ockelmann, VP of sales and operations at Forum Communications International.

Innovation and Security in Emergency Communications

Forum harnesses the power of first-class object functions, VPN technology, and secure real-time communications. They serve as crucial tools in the development process, empowering the rapid creation and deployment of new features and integrations. By streamlining the development cycle, Forum quickly responds to customer demands and adapts to evolving market trends.

"Our vision is to maintain long-term customer loyalty and global leadership in audio conferencing and emergency response solutions"

VPN technology, for instance, is an essential component of the company’s software infrastructure, enabling it to securely transmit emergency communications over public networks. By encrypting data and ensuring its integrity, VPN technology guarantees critical information remains confidential, even during transmission through potentially unsecured channels.

Similarly, Forum establishes secure communication paths without relying on traditional telephone systems. This is possible due to secure real-time communications technology that enables users to establish real-timeconnections while ensuring the confidentiality and integrity of their conversations. Just as importantly, it is a cost-effective solution for customers.

Forum’s dedication to innovation has enabled it to handle multiple projects with resounding success.

One is Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport in Springfield, Illinois, where Forum completed a comprehensive upgrade. The regional airport, burdened with aging and costly infrastructure, sought a transformation to enhance its operational efficiency. Notably, the public safety staff had envisioned innovative improvements, particularly in mass notification and the integration of multiple communication channels.

Forum conducted a site survey to thoroughly understand the airport’s requirements. Armed with this knowledge, the company developed a multi-faceted solution to revolutionize the airport’s communication capabilities. It encompassed various technologies like voice-over-IP telephony, analog endpoints, land-to-mobile radio, and microwave communications links.

Recognizing the airport’s need for versatile and comprehensive communication tools, Forum integrated multiple alerts into the system.

The transformational solution not only addressed the airport’s existing requirements but empowered them to adapt to future needs. A holistic approach to infrastructure upgrades ensured their operations ran smoothly while maintaining public safety and satisfaction.

Commitment to Streamlined Emergency Communication

“Our products ensure effortless interaction, empowering users to navigate the software with ease,” says Dr. Natarajan.

Recently, Forum introduced ConsortAlert, a breakthrough, IP-based, secure communications system. It is an incident alert and emergency response communication system designed for commercial airports and military airfields.

ConsortAlert’s features include the versatile WebView GUI, the conference recording manager, podcasting of recordings, and extensive reports, including detailed attendance logs, conference duration, and other important data. More advanced features are the runway incident location feature, allowing the initiator to relay the location and alert category of the incident to ARFF personnel, the blast notification feature for audio, text and SMS messages, and the Webservice API and interface feature for easy integration with external notification and unified communication systems.

The IP-based ConsortAlert system has gained a lot of traction since its introduction at many airports, including El Paso International, Abraham Lincoln Capital, Charlotte Douglas International and Decatur airports, and Mountain Home and Kirtland Air Force bases.

Forum’s certification by the Department of Defense’s JITC showcases its dedication to cybersecurity and commitment to providing secure communication solutions to military bases worldwide. As the world expects more from mission-critical applications, Forum remains at the forefront, continually setting new standards for excellence in the industry.