SafetyCare - The Computerworld Honors Program

INNOVATIVE INTEGRATION OF MULTI-PARTY APPLICATIONS
TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO SECURITY AND WELLNESS
INDUSTRY
2005 COMPUTERWORLD HONORS CASE STUDY
MEDICINE
INTEGRATION OF DATA, TELEPHONY AND DIGITAL VOICE RECORDING PROVIDES SEAMLESS SUPPORT
TO A MEMBERSHIP DEMANDING PRECISE COMMUNICATION OF INFORMATION DURING EMERGENCIES
AND OTHER CHALLENGING SITUATIONS. [20055424]
SUMMARY
Robert Carrigan,
Chairmen of the Chairmen's Committee
Ron Milton,
Vice-Chairman of the Chairmen's
Committee
Dan Morrow,
Chief Historian
Integration of Data, Telephony and Digital Voice Recording resulted in seamless support to a Membership
with requirements of precise communications of information during an emergency or challenging time. We
met and exceed expectations with results of minimizing false communications and precision when assisting
during an actual situation.
APPLICATION
SafetyCare is Americas first unified safely, security and wellness service for the family. The company was
founded by a group of nationally recognized and respected Executives that spent the past twenty-five to fifty
years shaping the home security, safety and wellness industries. Although SafetyCare is a New Jersey based
organization and currently focuses on providing services to the residential marketplace in the region, the
services are available nationally.
SafetyCare offers home emergency assistance and wellness support. The services are provided along with the
latest two-way voice emergency communication system with the capability of monitoring an endless quantity
of safety and security detectors, including medical, smoke, water and low temperature sensors. 24/7
monitoring for fire and carbon monoxide detection is included, along with security monitoring for burglary.
As the SafetyCare infrastructure began to develop, the SafetyCare Management Team knew that it was
essential to build a seamless system of bi-directional communications for their Membership and to integrate
with third party monitoring/alarm applications in order for the company to provide the support that was
required. Selecting the right solution was critical for this company that provides twenty-four hour life safety
monitoring and support.
The company drew from the several decades of management’s experience for the sourcing of the central
database for monitoring, tracking, mapping and critical medical data housing. This was an easy choice, as
Monitoring Automation Systems (MAS) which is now a GE Company is the most respected and widely used
automation in the industry. MAS databases more subscriptions than all their competitors combined. It was a
natural selection in choosing the MAS flagship MASterMind Platform to support our Membership. Having
made this choice it was equally important that the selections to follow in regard to PBX and voice recording
would not only serve the organization appropriately, but would also offer seamless integration with the GE
System. After months of evaluation, SafetyCare implemented the Avaya IPOffice and was very impressed
with the ease of integration with the MAS critical monitoring application. To assure through and through
integration, it was essential that the Avaya/GE integration also integrated straight through to a digital
recording application. The choice to fill this requirement was Voice Print International. Voice Print
International is an Avaya Development Connect member and had certified the IP Office solution. With the
assistance of support teams from all organizations, the VoicePrint System was integrated with the monitoring
application from GE’s Monitoring Application Systems (MAS). SafetyCare worked with Avaya and GE MAS
to integrate the solution and everyone was very impressed with the flexibility of the solution.
This was the first integration of IP Office with the GE MAS application to date. This application uses CTI to
pop up database screens when an inbound telephone call rings in and also opens up a two-way communication
line automatically when digital emergency alarm signals are processed by SafetyCare Family Center
Associates. The application also lets the associate contact the emergency services (police, fire, etc.) through
the same CTI interface.
BENEFITS

This end-to-end integration benefits everyone in the service chain. The streamline and efficiency in the
provision of precise record management affords direct results in accurate emergency support of SafetyCare’s
clientele. The services and support that stem from this project would not be possible in an effective manner
without this success.
From a pure business standpoint, this project opens doors for the offering of many other similar services that
all have a direct relation to providing better support and guidance to families in the event of an emergency
condition or unstable period. The next level of opportunity may even be greater than the original goals.
Because the integration has virtually created a new service platform, the offerings and support are rising to a
new level that will include emergency communications management. This widely needed service will allow
for immediate mass communications over various medias in the event of any serious situation. This could be a
communication in response to a terrorist threat or attack that affects a great segment of geography or a
situation that only effects one property where individuals need to get relocated which usually leaves families
in dismay without immediate communications.
This will continue to unfold as the success of the project allows us to move upward toward greater
accomplishments in supporting and servicing the public.
IMPORTANCE
Although most of the elements of this project where fundamental as they stood by themselves, when they were
brought together under this integration with the assistance of customized technology, the results were all but
ordinary.
We looked at the basics of what it takes in order to provide precise assistance in the event we are called to
task. Understanding a client’s profile, along with understanding the level of the emergency while
communicating with them in an effective manner and bridging in the authorities to enhance the assistance
were all crucial elements. While all these tasks were not a challenge individually, what we knew as the
challenge was to deliver all of this to a first responder without any question in a seamless and effective
manner. With the support of the MAS automation system integrated with the Avaya IP Office and Voice Print
Recorder, we accomplished all this and more. A SafetyCare first responder Associate can react to an inbound
call or digitally transmitted emergency signal without any doubt of actions or necessary communications
channels. As the emergency message and client database appear to them on their computer station, the
automatic, two-way audio verification telecommunications channel is simultaneously kept open and delivered
to them at the computer workstation they are authenticated on. This project in short has taken some basic
technology, telecommunications and joined it with some innovative intelligence to provide a new, robust
platform offering.
ORIGINALITY
Although similar and only similar integrations have taken place in the past, they were on older platforms with
results not equal to this extent. With the introduction to IP Based PBX Systems and the departure from
traditional hardware intensive systems, some have avoided the movement to change and step up the
integration. Combining this, with the introduction of smaller scale IP Based Systems that offer great upward
scalability, even more have avoided this. The Avaya IP Office is an amazingly robust system packaged in a
scalable manner which opens the doors for many organizations to implement greater levels of service. After
building some of the largest emergency centers in the country on older platforms, We stepped back and
decided that this could be accomplished on a smaller basis while broadening the offering. Reaching back and
taking into consideration much of what was accomplished over the past decades, we worked diligently with the
Avaya, MAS and VoicePrint engineering and support staff to bring this to reality.
SUCCESS
This project has met all of the original goals stated. As we continue to push this technology, we actually
exceed our original goals as we move forward. It is fully operational and utilized by several hundred
individuals and by years end will serve several thousand. The system is scalable and the ultimate intended use
will serve hundreds of thousands individuals from several operational facilities all integrated in the same
manner as this original project. All locations will work seamlessly as one large national platform.
This integration was immediately embraced and the most immediate effect was the efficiency it afforded the
first responder SafetyCare Associates. This support staff had an immediate effect of a more accurate method in
providing services which directly resulted in a better served client.

DIFFICULTY
Upfront the challenges were fundamental challenges. Although we, as long term industry operators were very
clear on what we needed to accomplish, it was most important that we communicated this properly to all
vendors involved. After several meetings and conference calls we were very fortunate that Avaya, MAS and
VoicePrint all came to a meeting of the minds and understood our goals. This allowed for a functional path in
engineering and implementing this integration.
Through our experience over the years in attempting similar tasks, what we found to be the greatest attribute in
resolving our issues during this project were the vendors. All vendors involved demonstrated a remarkable
passion to overcome the challenges and always worked with the end in mind of succeeding and meeting the
goals of the project. We had never experienced such drive, especially from large organizations as Avaya and
GE. The people involved had this thirst and sense of self pride and communicated that although integrations of
these various products were never documented to success, that we would accomplish it in one way or another.