Vertiv Avocent HMX - comprehensive management of the emergency center
Technology solutions to increase the efficiency of emergency management control rooms.
Introduction
You only have to open any newspaper or website to see how important emergency management centers are in our daily lives, taking care of our health and safety.
Whether these centers are responding to incoming 112 calls, dealing with natural or man-made disasters, or protecting critical infrastructure, their staff must have quick access to critical information. Emergency management dispatch centers need to instantly access, view, aggregate and share data stored in multiple systems, which is often delivered in a variety of formats, such as video feeds, maps, photos, and evacuation plans.
"Fast response, trouble-free and comprehensive management " - in many emergency management control rooms this is easier said than implemented. Control rooms must acquire and install many expensive systems. They must also require staff to move between different workstations in order to access critical and complete information about an incident. Operators struggle with isolated systems and workstations that create "silos" of information. Collaboration between emergency management center staff becomes nearly impossible, and is certainly hampered when a given system can be used by a specific, small number of people at the same time. All of this reduces the effectiveness and efficiency of both employees and the crisis management center as a whole. In addition, it negatively affects the speed of response and increases the cost of maintaining the center.
There are technological solutions that can significantly improve efficiency in an emergency management control room. Such solutions, thanks to their advanced features, readiness for continuous operation (24/7), or ease of maintenance, make it possible to create an IT environment that increases the quality of service, reduces costs and increases the level of security of the emergency management center.
Increasing the efficiency and productivity of the emergency management center operator
A great way to increase the productivity of emergency management center operators is to use a high-performance KVM system that offers quick and easy access to an unlimited number of systems from any operator's work location. KVM systems eliminate the need for users to physically move from place to place. With just a few clicks, users can switch between different systems, right at their workstation, in seconds. Such functionality improves productivity and promotes collaboration, as both local and remote users can instantly switch between systems, sharing screens, sessions and data.
Using KVM technology, which offers the ability to remotely extend the reach of operators, we can move almost any system in use out of the emergency management center. This makes us able to create a more work-friendly IT environment, for operators who have to make key decisions under time pressure and other stressors anyway.
When implementing advanced KVM systems, we need to be sure that the emergency center operator who will be using it will be able to rely on it and have confidence in it. The mere fact that the machine or system to be used by the operator is not right next to it can cause some concern for emergency center staff. So it's crucial that the KVM system runs smoothly and reproduces every element of the system (e.g., video footage, colors and hues of photos or maps) as if the user were using it directly. KVM systems are required to remotely support all types of systems and peripherals, and offer an excellent user experience without any delays.
Simplifying the work of IT
IT departments that operate control rooms
emergency management, have a tough job, given the complexity of the overall environment. Technology solutions that can simplify the installation, provisioning, monitoring and troubleshooting of emergency management systems greatly simplify and streamline the work of IT engineers. KVM systems that offer plug-and-play convenience bring new systems online with minimal time and effort. In addition, KVM's remote expansion capabilities mean that equipment can be placed in a rack in a separate location, enabling IT departments to reduce the risk of failure and increase the availability of the entire IT system by keeping equipment in a properly protected and cooled environment.
In any emergency management control room, operations must be carried out without any interruptions. KVM systems are an effective way to keep such centers running smoothly, even in the event of a system failure. Well-designed KVMs eliminate every single point of failure and allow immediate switching to the so-called "hot standby" system, while ensuring high quality. Using KVM, it is possible to direct almost any user to a different hardware resource.
By combining several KVM systems with centralized remote management, maintenance and troubleshooting become much easier. Advanced remote management solutions guarantee only one source of information about all the resources (IT systems and equipment) in use. IT can streamline the process of finding, connecting and administering systems through a single console. IT engineers also easily obtain real-time information about the status of the entire system and each of its components. In addition, IT technicians can make immediate diagnoses, which has a direct impact on preventing downtime and speeding up the troubleshooting process. Centralized management improves security. It also makes it possible to grant users access rights to systems and other resources, based on their roles in the organization.
Growth at the right cost
The need to modernize and expand crisis management systems is growing regularly. International experts and specialists predict that the global defense and homeland security market will grow by 81% over the next 10 years.
Emergency management control centers must accommodate this growth and must move both new users/operators and their systems online quickly and smoothly. Of course, each such organization has a strict budget. So, in order to upgrade and expand a crisis center at the right price, one must:
- Find the right KVM technology that will provide an easy way to share systems between users. It will also ensure that systems are shared, which will significantly reduce operating costs and also reduce the number of core systems required. This will contribute to significant capital cost savings and even eliminate the need to build multiple emergency management centers.
- Use technology designed to be vendor-independent. KVMs that support systems and peripherals regardless of type, brand, manufacturer or location provide future-proofing and enable growth and rapid deployment of changes.
- Work with a vendor that doesn't force you to purchase technology that doesn't provide the required power and flexibility, or require you to incur unnecessary expenses. Your supplier should be able to correctly size the solution to provide an operating environment that meets your business requirements.
Vertiv Avocent® offers solutions for every type of emergency management control center, ensuring flexible solutions that grow and evolve with your business.
Check: Can you support the following functions in your current control room and emergency management center?
- Sharing systems and guaranteeing collaboration between local and remote workers.
- Enabling remote access to high-definition video assets.
- Centralize systems in a secure, isolated and controlled environment.
- Switch seamlessly between standard information and emergency transmissions.
- Quickly locate, configure and troubleshoot in multiple locations.
- Seamless failover in seconds, with guaranteed quality service.
- Control access with role-based permissions.
- Reduce the number of systems and backup equipment required to support operations.
If your current IT environment needs improvement and you want to use the best Vertiv Avocent solutions to guarantee business continuity and eliminate downtime, then contact a Stovaris expert. We will match solutions to your current and future needs and requirements.
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