Page 5 - Telecom Reseller November-December 2016

November/December 2016
DEICH
to a desk but is anywhere the user goes. is exibility o ers myriad bene ts: an
enterprise can reduce the amount of o ce space that it needs to maintain by implementing hot desking; users who move from one location
to another can still be reachable on their o ce extension regardless of where they are physically located; and the enterprise can optimize productivity by allowing its employees to work at the place and in the way that is most convenient. Clearly, there are many advantages to allowing workers to be mobile.
Workforce mobility: What’s the problem?
As users move from location to location, the problem that the enterprise faces is knowing where any employee is physically located when using the corporate voice network.
is is signi cant because an enterprise
o en has a legal – not to mention ethical – responsibility to ensure that employees can
use the corporate voice network to connect to emergency services (Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP) in a crisis situation. Not only does the enterprise need to connect users to the right PSAPs, it must also automatically provide the caller’s true location data to the PSAP dispatcher. Several states have even implemented legislation that requires that this location information be speci ed to a particular level of detail, and does not distinguish between on- and o -site users. Failing to provide mobile users with adequate 9-1-1 access not only puts them at risk, but also exposes the enterprise to legal penalties and additional liability.
To clearly understand the issues around workforce mobility, it is easiest to look at the issue in two parts: on-premises and o -site.
Identifying on-premises user locations
Some UC systems do o er capabilities that allow an enterprise to monitor its users’ locations when they are on-premises. Typically, the UC system can provide a user’s location based on the subnet to which their device is connected. If the employee has a desk phone and the enterprise has small, geographically-delineated subnets, this may be su cient. But if voice subnets are not geographically de ned, or if the employee uses a so phone that connects to the UC system via a large data subnet, the enterprise will not have location information down to the level of detail that it needs to quickly locate a user in an emergency.
Specialized third-party solutions have emerged that integrate with UC systems and allow the enterprise to track employee locations to a greater level of detail than the UC system can provide on its own. ese solutions include phone discovery appliances that situate a user within the o ce environment. For example, a user can be located based on the Layer 2 switch/ port or Wireless Access Point to which their device is connected, not just the Layer 3 subnet as the UC system allows. Some solutions even permit the enterprise to combine and overlay
the various phone tracking methodologies.
ey also include various call noti cations, so the enterprise gains awareness of in-progress emergency calls and can immediately implement its own internal response processes.
When evaluating third-party solutions, the enterprise must ask what UC systems and endpoints the solution supports. To ensure
a consistent user experience, the enterprise should choose a solution that supports all the UC systems and network components that it has deployed, including full functionality for all of its endpoints. Otherwise, it will end up implementing ine ective workarounds and experiencing gaps in service.
With so much to consider with on-premises mobility, many enterprises contemplate
advising their employees to use their personal
or corporate-issued cell phones on-premises
to make 9-1-1 calls if they are away from their primary location. However, this doesn’t solve the problem.
Telecom Reseller 5 continued from page 1
A UC endpoint on the on-premises voice network infrastructure o ers the enterprise
the opportunity to secure the workplace by providing accurate and reliable location data – even down to the workstation level. is level
of detail helps to eliminate the situation where help is dispatched to the wrong building due to imprecise location data. Additionally, if the user’s cell phone fails (their battery is dead, low signal strength, etc.), the UC device is the user’s lifeline.
LOCATING OFF-SITE USERS
When a user moves o -site, they can no longer be located based on their connection to network elements; their location is completely unknown. But if they can still access corporate dial tone, they still must be able to e ectively access the right PSAP.
Like with on-premises users, third-party
solutions focused on emergency calling are available. ese solutions take the form of self- provisioning tools that allow an o -site employee to enter and validate his or her own o -network location. Between these solutions, the main di erentiators revolve around usability and coverage.
Some third-party solutions require a user to enter his or her location every single time the phone is booted, whether they are on- or o -site. is can be a nuisance, especially for employees who move frequently between the same locations. e more seamless the user experience, the more likely the enterprise is to experience a high rate of adoption among its employees.
Additionally, an enterprise with mobile users must be concerned with coverage. e greater the provider’s coverage area, the less likely that travelling users will be le without emergency
calling capabilities.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Mobility is a reality in today’s enterprises – employees are no longer tied to one location,
and frequently take advantage of the exibility that UC enables. But with this exibility comes the responsibility for enterprises to ensure that regardless of where their employees are working, they can access emergency services in a crisis. ough some UC systems have incorporated tools to manage mobile user locations, they o en fall short of the robust features an enterprise truly requires. e right third-party solutions, with
a laser focus on enterprise emergency calling, allow enterprises to shore-up their location management capabilities to meet their legislative obligations in a manner that encourages user adoption. n
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