911: If we can't find you, we can't help you

NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: STEVE TAYLOR AND LARRY HETTICK ON
CONVERGENCE
09/28/05
Today's focus: 911: If we can't find you, we can't help you

Dear security.world@gmail.com,

In this issue:

* The scope of the 911 problems caused by wireless and VoIP
* Links related to Convergence
* Featured reader resource
_______________________________________________________________
This newsletter is sponsored by Nokia
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Nokia believes that business mobility will fundamentally change
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IS IT THE NETWORK OR THE STORAGE THAT'S THE PROBLEM?

Midsize and larger businesses often find their IT topology has
become a complex mix of servers, networks and storage systems.
Many of these companies also route long-haul traffic over
fiber-based networks - metropolitan-area networks, WANs and
private optical networks. Who's responsible when a
storage-related problem occurs on a fiber network? For more,
click here:
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=115686
_______________________________________________________________

Today's focus: 911: If we can't find you, we can't help you

By Steve Taylor and Larry Hettick

In this continuation of our guest commentary by Jim Cavanagh,
Jim defines the scope of the problem that both wireless and VoIP
bring to the traditional telephony network that was designed
assuming that a phone number and a physical location had a
one-to-one correspondence - and that any changes in location,
such as moving to a new house, happen rarely and are the
exception rather than the rule.

Jim mailto:jpc@consultant-registry.com explains:

"We all know the drill. Terrorist on the roof across the street?
Dial 911. Lost child? Dial 911. Corpse in the swimming pool?
Dial 911. We also 'know' - a notion reinforced by countless TV
shows and movies - that as soon as we have pressed the second
'1' of the 9-1-1 dialing sequence that the SWAT helicopters are
airborne, the police cruisers and ambulances are rolling and, if
need be, the frogmen and submarines are already in the water.

"With the rapid growth of VoIP it is time to consider what
happens 'behind the scenes' and the changes that VoIP will bring
to 911 emergency dialing. In the 'old days' of telephony each
telephone number had a very strict geographic assignment. Phone
number 444-555-6767 mapped directly to 4819 Main Street and,
with only a slight allowance for the accuracy of updating phone
records, emergency personnel could be dispatched with
confidence.

"Wireless brought the first disruption to the geographic
assignment as the subscriber was equally as likely to be at 4819
Main Street as they were to be on a highway or at the mall.
Wireless location systems known as Phase II compliant are just
now being rolled out in many communities across the country. The
major benefit of Phase II over Phase I is that Phase I could
often locate a person calling for help with no more accuracy
than the nearest cell tower. Phase II can pinpoint the location
of the caller with far greater accuracy, often to within several
feet, under ideal circumstances.

"Most public safety organizations had barely begun solving the
wireless problem when VoIP came along. VoIP changes the rules
further because in addition to being stationary, nomadic or
mobile, a VoIP subscriber is identified by an alphanumeric label
rather than a phone number. While the first use of the labels
will be the old phone number, '4445556767' for instance, we will
increasingly see labels like james.p.cavanagh@telco.net."

In a later newsletter, we'll follow up with some answers to how
this problem is being solved.

The top 5: Today's most-read stories

1. Skype: Hazardous to network health?
http://www.networkworld.com/nlconvergence7828
2. How to solve Windows system crashes in minutes
http://www.networkworld.com/nlconvergence7597
3. Commuting costs drive up telecommuting
http://www.networkworld.com/nlconvergence7829
4. McAfee,?Omniquad top anti-spyware test
http://www.networkworld.com/nlconvergence6913
5. The rise of the IT architect
http://www.networkworld.com/nlconvergence7008

_______________________________________________________________
To contact: Steve Taylor and Larry Hettick

Steve Taylor is president of Distributed Networking Associates
and publisher/editor-in-chief of Webtorials. For more detailed
information on most of the topics discussed in this newsletter,
connect to Webtorials http://www.webtorials.com/, the premier
site for Web-based educational presentations, white papers, and
market research. Taylor can be reached at
mailto:taylor@webtorials.com

Larry Hettick is an industry veteran with more than 20 years of
experience in voice and data. He is Vice President for Telecom
Services and Infrastructure at Current Analysis, the leading
competitive response solutions company. He can be reached at
mailto:lhettick@currentanalysis.com
_______________________________________________________________
This newsletter is sponsored by Nokia
Empower Your Mobile Enterprise

Nokia believes that business mobility will fundamentally change
the way work gets done-and for the better. To allow the entire
organization to get the most from this paradigm shift in
productivity, Nokia Enterprise Solutions focuses on delivering
increased efficiency through enhanced mobility. Learn more by
downloading this white paper today!
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=115976
_______________________________________________________________
ARCHIVE LINKS

Archives of the Convergence newsletter:
http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/converg/index.html
_______________________________________________________________
#1 Security Myth: Your Firewalls, IDS or IPS protects
applications from attack

You've invested heavily in making sure your network is secure.
But does a secure network equal secure applications? With 75
percent of attacks happening at the application layer, hear why
industry experts say no.
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=115728
_______________________________________________________________
FEATURED READER RESOURCE

The Trend Micro Threat Map

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http://www.networkworld.com/go/trendmicro/trend_frr
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