Emergency Notification System Experts Introduce AtHoc IWSAlerts for DoD Installations

BURLINGAME, Ca - http://www.athoc.com - AtHoc, Inc., provider of enterprise-class network-centric alerting systems for emergency notifications, force protection readiness, anti-terror warnings and critical communications, today announced the general availability of AtHoc IWSAlerts™ v6.1, its new PKI-encrypted, network-centric emergency notification system. The product meets the Department of Defense’s (DoD) critical alerting needs for force protection, operational readiness and anti-terror warnings. Built on top of the company’s market-proven Enterprise Notification Suite, AtHoc IWSAlerts was designed to comply with Air Force Instruction 10-2501, a mandatory requirement for Full Spectrum Threat Response (FSTR) Installation Warning System.

AtHoc IWSAlerts provides military installations with the ability to send alerts to a computer screen, cell phone or personal digital assistant (PDA) whenever a threat is identified via a network-centric alerting system. Threats can range from terror warnings to an approaching tornado. The alerts, in the form of pop-up windows, describe the potential threat, categorize the threat level and include instructions for action. An audio alert also sounds over the computers’ speakers. Unlike products that rely on emails for alerts – emails that may not be seen or opened in a timely manner – AtHoc IWSAlerts emergency notification system can guarantee connected users will see and hear the alerts that pop up on computers’ desktops.

AtHoc IWSAlerts operators centrally create, manage and send alerts to any computer or device using a standard Web browser. Notification recipients receive alerts regardless of which application they are currently using, as long as they are connected to the network. AtHoc IWSAlerts distributes an emergency alert to thousands of network-connected computers in an average of one minute. Using its XML-based interface, AtHoc IWSAlerts emergency notification system can integrate with other deployed notifications channels such as PA systems and telephony.

“Now installations can quickly distribute information about threats to all personnel and first response teams, giving clear guidance about what steps should be taken,” said Guy Miasnik, president and CEO of AtHoc. “We’ve already experienced success implementing this product at Air Force installations. In fact, AtHoc IWSAlerts is one of the few offerings that possess the Air Force’s Authority to Operate and Certificate to Operate. We see the need growing within the Air Force as well as within the other Services and DoD programs.”

AtHoc IWSAlerts can be tailored to support various concepts of operations (CONOPS) for specific operational scenarios by predefining alerts and associated target audiences. Such pre-programmed alerts can be launched with a single click during a crisis. This further decreases the time between receiving word of a potential threat and alerting personnel.

The product includes a specific library of audio-visual signals that comply with the Air Force’s FSTR requirements outlined in Air Force Instruction (AFI) 10-2501. Such signals cover force protection (FPCON) commands, warnings and other DoD and USAF emergency messages.

AtHoc IWSAlerts is one of the few commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) networked alerting systems that have received Defense Information Technology Security Certification and Accreditation Process (DITSCAP) certification. The solution includes provisions for secure communication, authentication and encryption using DoD and industry-standard PKI-encryption technologies.

The product is easy to install, administer and use. AtHoc IWSAlerts emergency notification system can be installed base wide and operational in three days. Because the system uses an intuitive, Windows-based graphical user interface, personnel responsible for sending alerts require minimal training.


About AtHoc, Inc.

AtHoc provides enterprise-class network-centric alerting systems for emergency notifications, force protection readiness, anti-terror warnings and critical communications. AtHoc offers a broad set of alerting solutions for the government/defense agencies and commercial enterprises, including IWSAlerts™ for Network-centric Emergency Mass Notifications; C2Alerts™ for Targeted User Alerts in Command & Control / C4I Operations Center; KMAlerts™ for Knowledge and Intelligence Dissemination; and EmployeeAlerts™ for critical Corporate Communications. AtHoc has partnered with Microsoft, Northrop Grumman and IBM to bring these notifications solutions to the enterprise market. The U.S. Strategic Command, U.S. Air Force, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Boeing, eBay and Juniper Networks are some of the world-class organizations that have selected and deployed AtHoc for their critical enterprise notifications needs.

For more information about AtHoc’s Emergency Notification and Alerting Systems, please visit http://www.athoc.com.