AT&T, Invizeon (Missoula) Deliver Agriculture Emergency Alert System for Georgia

CHAIN-EMN is secure, web-based communications system

AT&T and Invizeon Corp. http://www.invizeon.com have been awarded a one-year contract to deliver a first-of-its-kind web-based emergency alert system for use by key agricultural agencies in Georgia in the event of a crisis, such as an animal disease outbreak or contamination of the state’s food supply.

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040715/nyth038_1.html

The system, called CHAIN-EMN, is a secure, reliable, web-based, two-way communication and alert reporting system that can rapidly disseminate information via a range of devices that include telephones, PCs, PDAs, cell phones and other means. Participants can access or receive messages regardless of the device or network carrier they are using. CHAIN-EMN was developed by AT&T Government Solutions, Invizeon and AT&T Labs.

The alert notification project is being directed by the Georgia Department of Agriculture for the Agriculture Information Sharing and Analysis Center (AGISAC), a network of federal and state agencies, private sector companies and academic institutions, as well as agriculture associations based in Georgia. The Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) is implementing the project, which is funded through a Georgia Division of Public Health federal bioterrorism grant.

"With this technology, Georgia will serve as a model for other state governments," said Bill Hitchens, Georgia Homeland Security Director. "Our goal is to be prepared to deal with any kind of threat to Georgia’s agriculture sector. We’re also proud to have established a unique partnership involving three separate state agencies."

CHAIN-EMN will allow participants to simultaneously send alerts to key agencies, organizations, specific groups or individuals describing potential threats, recommending next steps and providing updates. Recipients receive the information rapidly over virtually any communications device and can respond to and collaborate with the sender — potentially preventing or mitigating the impact of a threat.

"CHAIN-EMN is an important tool to allow state and federal agencies to be better prepared," said Lou Addeo, president of AT&T Government Solutions. "We’re honored to have been chosen by the state of Georgia to implement such a system for the first time in any state agency."

"The Georgia Department of Agriculture, GEMA, the Georgia Division of Public Health and all of the organizations involved in AGISAC understand what is at stake for our nation’s animal industry and food supply. They are to be congratulated for taking decisive action and implementing a solution that is a model to the nation," said David Todd, Chief Business Development officer of Invizeon Corporation. Greg Alderson, Invizeon CEO, commended the agencies for their leadership and for incorporating CHAIN-EMN into their communications infrastructure. He also applauded the product team’s commitment to innovation, quality and service that helped make the solution possible.

About AT&T:

For more than 125 years, AT&T (NYSE "T") has been known for unparalleled quality and reliability in communications. Backed by the research and development capabilities of AT&T Labs, the company is a global leader in local, long distance, Internet and transaction-based voice and data services.

About AT&T Government Solutions: Headquartered in Vienna, Va., AT&T Government Solutions is a long-standing, trusted source of information technology solutions for the federal government, integrating unmatched network resources and professional service expertise with innovative technologies from AT&T Labs and industry-leading partners. Best known for network leadership in voice, data, video and managed services, AT&T Government Solutions is a proven solutions integrator, with professional service expertise in areas such as enterprise architecture, business transformation, knowledge management, training, program management, systems engineering and security.

About Invizeon:

Invizeon Corporation is a nationally recognized technology company, with headquarters in Missoula, Montana, providing advanced communications software and technology solutions to the public and private sectors. Invizeon’s flagship solutions provide the foundation for any organization requiring secure, interoperable, real-time communication capabilities
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AT&T deploys Web-based alert system

By Brad Grimes
Staff Writer

http://www.wtonline.com/news/1_1/daily_news/24059-1.html

(Many thanks to Lisa Ray for passing this along- Russ)

State and local agencies continue to explore Web-based communications solutions as an affordable, easily deployable means of linking public safety workers.

In Georgia, AT&T Government Solutions won a one-year contract to build a Web-based emergency alert system that the state’s agricultural agencies will use in the event of a crisis, such as a mad cow disease outbreak.

The value of the contract is modest — less than $100,000 according to an AT&T spokesperson — but company officials see it as a first step in what may be a growing market for such systems.

The system, called Chain-EMN, is based on technology from Invizeon Corp. of Missoula, Mont. The company builds communications solutions for government and commercial customers.

Through a Web browser, government agencies can access a system and read or initiate broadcast messages. Web-based alerts are automatically routed from the site infrastructure to AT&T’s enterprise messaging network, which then sends the message to a variety of devices and applications.

Alerts can be sent simultaneously to cell phones, land phones, PDAs, fax machines, e-mail systems and instant messaging clients. Future versions of the solution will be able to route messages to radios and satellite-based communications devices.

“Chain-EMN is an important tool to allow state and federal agencies to be better prepared,” said Lou Addeo, president of AT&T Government Solutions.

In Georgia, the project involves several agencies, including the Georgia Agriculture Department, the Emergency Management Agency and the Public Health Division. Bill Hitchens, Georgia’s homeland security director, said it was a unique partnership.

“Our goal is to be prepared to deal with any kind of threat to Georgia’s agriculture sector,” Hitchens said. Because the Chain-EMN system is a single, cross-agency platform, health officials can respond more effectively through better intra-agency communication.

Evoxis Inc. of Pittsburgh launched a similar communications system for transmitting information to first responders over a variety of channels. Its Prodigent for Emergency Management system allows personnel to broadcast information to phones, pagers and e-mail and instant messaging systems from a single point of operation.

Pennsylvania’s Southwest Emergency Response Group, a regional anti-terrorism consortium that includes Pittsburgh and 13 neighboring counties, was the first government agency to adopt the Evoxis system.

With 2003 revenue of $34.5 billion, Bedminster, N.J.-based AT&T Corp. ranks at No. 20 on Washington Technology’s 2004 Top 100 list, which measures federal contracting revenue.