Procuring an E911 SolutionProcuring an E911 Solution

As you move from TDM to IP-based PBXs, as you support remote workers, and as you consider procuring an E911 solution, are you ready for the RFP process?

More states are writing or already have E911 regulations. As you move from TDM to IP-based PBXs, as you support remote workers, as you consider procuring an E911 solution, are you ready for the RFP process?

Supporting E911 should not be an afterthought. If you are a multi-state enterprise, you will probably have to acquire software or subscribe to a service for some if not all the locations. Poor compliance with E911, especially for teleworkers, can get you in trouble and end up in court; it can also be bad for the enterprise's profit and bad for the enterprise's reputation.

Know Your Resources
Getting started with an E911 procurement means you need to know what you have in your environment. Much of what you need to know deals with your communications resources such as:

* What PBXs do you have from what vendors running what releases of software?
* Are there softphones, hard phones, IP, analog, digital, mobile to support?
* Is there a current E911 solution? Why do you want a new solution?
* What are the wired and wireless LAN infrastructures and how are they configured?
* How many teleworkers do you have now and what will be the growth over the next three years?
* What endpoints do the teleworkers use and how do they connect to the enterprise?
* The enterprise security team's size, distribution, location, and role as it relates to connecting with the Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP) needs to be well defined.
* Where are the locations of the enterprise offices and teleworkers that will be covered by the E911 solution?
* Where are the integration points of all these resources and third-party systems and services?

Assuming that you have a resident IP-PBX, is the E911 solution certified with that system and software? If communications is handled by a cloud service, will the cloud provider support E911 or will the enterprise have to implement its own solution? If it is in the cloud, how are the E911 responsibilities shared between the cloud provider and the enterprise? Does the enterprise have all the liabilities or are they shared?

E911, Teleworkers, and Availability
E911 is more problematic with teleworkers. You need to be able to describe the location and devices that teleworkers use or may use. A major consideration is the teleworker's call routing. The enterprise often does not know where the teleworker's local PSAP is. It is unlikely that the enterprise has any connections through the teleworker's local carrier to their local PSAP.

Further, different jurisdictions have varying regulations. One jurisdiction may want the location to be pinpointed to within 20,000 square feet of space, while another wants the call to located within an area of 7,000 square feet. The vendor of the E911 solution should know the area location requirements and be able to route calls so they arrive at the local teleworker's PSAP.

A telephone network is not static. The endpoints move. They are reassigned. The teleworker can be mobile. The E911 solution must keep abreast of the changes in real time. This means that the solution must be aware of Layer 2 and 3 wired and wireless locations and their changes. This requires continuous tracking of the endpoints, otherwise the 911 call may be routed to the wrong PSAP.

We hear of 99.999% availability as a goal for any communications system. Routing 911 calls to the proper PSAP with E911 locator information should be equally as reliable. In fact, most people would put 911 calls at the highest priority for delivery. E911 is a life-saving service; maintaining high availability is absolutely essential. The E911 vendor must deliver high availability, redundancy, and network security.

A Few Words of Warning
There are many different E911 solutions on the market. They are not all the same in features, capacity, and support. Look for hidden costs that may make one proposal look less expensive than another. You may even want to ask one vendor to describe the hidden costs of another vendor.

As with any software-based product or service, licensing models are important. When evaluating the E911 vendor, how does the pricing model work? It is easily expanded or reduced? How does the new solution compare pricewise with your existing solution?

Focus on the longer term. This solution should be acceptable for the next 3 to 5 years. Look for a flexible solution. States will be added to the E911 list. The FCC may someday mandate a national E911 regulation.

This blog was inspired by a 9-1-1 Enable white paper "E911 RFP Prep Guide". The end of this white paper has several dozen questions that should be part of the E911 RFP.