March 23, 2004

Government of the people, by the people, for the people is difficult if you can't communicate with the people.

Today's governmental departments have an entirely different set of challenges than those in place when Abraham Lincoln made his famous Gettysburg Address, of course, but uniting people is still just as important. And good communication is vital in order for people to work together.

Navigating large, complex organizations, dealing with an ever-growing citizen base and keeping up with rapidly changing technology are just some of the transitions governments face today. To maneuver through these transitions successfully while continuing to improve customer responsiveness, organizations must focus on driving productivity increases. Technology innovation is an important part of that process.

Cisco Systems offers a set of IP communications (IPC) tools that help governments reduce costs, provide continuity of service and improve effectiveness. Cisco is demonstrating 'Transforming Communications for Government,' its portfolio of IPC products and services, this week at the FOSE trade show in Washington, D.C.

News@Cisco asked Scott Spehar, vice president, Federal Area, about the evolving communications needs of the government sector and how Cisco supports those needs.

What does the Cisco 'Transforming Communications for Government' suite of technologies and services offer governments?

Scott Spehar: Cisco offers advanced technology and applications that provide the foundation for governments to leverage network-aware applications and processes that deliver converged voice, video and data to their entire work force. The result is improved communications - both among branches and with customers - for more efficiency and effectiveness.

Cisco CallManager, for example, extends enterprise telephony features and functions to packet telephony network devices such as IP phones, voice-over-IP (VoIP) gateways and multimedia applications. And Cisco IP Contact Center (IPCC) delivers intelligent contact routing, call treatment, network-to-desktop computer telephony integration and multi-channel contact management - all of which allows agencies to incorporate these features and intelligence into their daily operations to reduce administrative time and expenses.

Finally, Cisco Unity, a powerful Unified Communications tool, provides services like the ability to listen to e-mail over the telephone and check voice messages from the Internet for mobile communication and productivity.

What benefits can a government customer gain from using these tools?

Scott Spehar: Benefits are derived in three key areas: improved efficiency and effectiveness, as we've seen - but also in the areas of cost savings and service continuity.

For example, using one network for voice, video and data saves dramatically on network infrastructure costs. And there are other steps organizations can take to lower costs, too -such as adopting easy-to-use management tools and configuring end-user self-service features into the network.

Government agencies that want to serve citizens consistently and reliably need a network with built-in flexibility and redundancy. For example, having automatic, rapid voice recovery to a redundant, separate network in the event of a remote site network failure is important, in order to provide continuity of vital government services. Cisco provides these key features throughout our solutions.

How are governments using IPC?

Scott Spehar: At the U.S. Department of Education, you can see not only the benefits of IPC but how the products and services available from Cisco and its associates comply with Federal requirements such as Section 508 - for accessibility of telecommunications products.

With almost 10 percent of its work force having a disability such as blindness, deafness or mobility impairments, the Department had a critical need for an accessible communications infrastructure. The Cisco system allows employees with disabilities to be as productive as employees without disabilities.

For example, employees that are visually impaired can check e-mail remotely through their voicemail. With the addition of third party software and the Cisco 7960G IP Phone, these users have access to that phone's advanced features - such as audio caller ID, missed call log and line status.

At the State and Local Government level, the City of Southfield, Michigan has deployed a converged voice and data communications infrastructure from Cisco that not only supports the city's vital functions securely and reliably but also reduces operational costs by an estimated $100,000 each year. The network covers more than 24 municipal departments housed in 18 buildings.

Southfield has been able to deliver new applications to all employees, simplify and centralize network management, and secure information systems and network resources. Employees can also respond to citizens faster and stay in touch with colleagues more easily.

Speaking of voice applications, where does the VoIP regulatory issue stand?

Scott Spehar: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently signaled its intent to allow VoIP to flourish in the United States. By allowing VoIP provider Pulver.com to operate its service free of state and federal telephone regulation, FCC Chairman Michael Powell has demonstrated his resolve to take a hands-off approach to the VoIP market.

The FCC now has the opportunity to develop this decision into a national VoIP policy, further speeding the deployment of advanced Internet-based applications and services, benefiting consumers, and launching a new cycle of innovation and vigorous growth.

What is Cisco doing at FOSE this year?

Scott Spehar: We've got a full schedule. To begin with, John Chambers (President and CEO of Cisco Systems) is delivering the opening keynote address in which he will address the importance of building and securing an intelligent information network.

We're also showcasing our IPC technologies on the show floor. And I'm hosting an event to which we've invited about 100 high level government technology and business executives that will feature John Chambers and two of our customers. Colonel Michael D. McDonald, Commander of the White House Communications Agency, and Mr. Brent Stacey, CIO, Computing and Instrumentation Solutions, Argonne National Lab, Dept of Energy, will discuss how Cisco IPC and Security solutions have been used to create more efficient and effective government operations.