U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) Deploys Desktop Alert Mass Notification System

Mass Notification System implemented at Fort Belvoir and Kirtland Air Force Base DTRA Locations for 7500 personnel.

Chatham, New Jersey (PRWEB) December 20, 2012

Desktop Alert Inc., a leader in network-centric emergency mass notification systems (MNS) and provider of the FEMA enterprise-level ip-based mass notification system, today announced that the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) has deployed the Desktop Alert mass notification (MNS) software in support of the Wide Area Alert Notification (WAAN) requirements. With the continued implementation of the Desktop Alert and Cassidian combined early warning notification systems, DoD organizations such as DTRA are on track to meet the Office of the Secretary of Defense emergency mass notification enterprise-wide requirements, per the Ft. Hood after-action report recommendations, and Department of Defense (DoD) Instruction 6055.17 for installation emergency management.

The Desktop Alert MNS utilized by DTRA leverages integration with Cassidian's Communicator!® NXT. Cassidian is a leading authorized reseller and integrator of the Desktop Alert mass notification platform.

Key Benefits of the Desktop Alert and Cassidian Communicator!® NXT combined solution:
Key Features

•     Intelligent mobilization of personnel, response teams, commanders, volunteers and others based on situational needs, individual certifications, skills and schedules
•     Improved accountability of critical resources, validating the safety and well-being of people in contingencies
•     Reduced risk of human error and better allocation of resources, allowing personnel to focus on response efforts versus communication
•     Complete scalability inside enterprise environments, across jurisdictions or through public-private partnerships
•     Greater situational awareness through exponentially improved, and oftentimes widespread, communication
•     High-capacity communications, effectively managing notification of thousands or tens of thousands of people in contingencies
•     Unequaled reliability of solution and 24/7 Technical Support, ensuring your communications readiness at all times

•     Deployment options; available as a premise-based, hosted (SaaS model) or hybrid platform, easily adapting to any operating environment or communications need
•     Easy, three-step activation of notification scenarios, initiating communications within a matter of seconds
•     True, multi-modal communication, using landlines, mobile phones, email, SMS (text messaging) and other methods to deliver information or instruction
•     High-level security; hardened solution with .NET XML framework and SQL database architecture, providing secure 128-bit SSL data encryption, meeting Federal and corporate standards, and passing numerous vulnerability assessments
•     Powerful text-to-speech and SMS capabilities, and optional pin-to-pin BlackBerry® messaging
•     Complementary capabilities, including a Self-Registration Portal (SRP) and survey tool, augmenting emergency and non-emergency communications
•     Hassle-free integration with other incident management tools, databases and software applications using Desktop Alert and Cassidian Communication's XML API, creating a system of systems for emergency notification

"As evidenced with the DTRA deployment, our closely aligned and strategic relationship with Cassidian has proven to be a highly formidable and affordable combined total mass notification solution to the U.S. Department of Defense. As a result of the seamless integration out-the-box between our DoD certified MNS systems, the combined notification solution has gained significant adoption by leading U.S. front line defense organizations such as FEMA, NORAD/Northern Command, US Space Command, The Army and Air National Guard nationwide and the majority of U.S. Army installations worldwide," said Howard Ryan, Founder Desktop Alert Inc.

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) is an agency within the United States Department of Defense and is the official Combat Support Agency for countering weapons of mass destruction (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high explosives). DTRA's main functions are threat reduction, threat control, combat support, and technology development. The agency is headquartered in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. DTRA employs 2,000 civilian and military personnel at more than 14 locations around the world, including Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Georgia, and Ukraine.

DTRA was established in 1998 by consolidating several DoD organizations, including the Defense Special Weapons Agency (successor to the Defense Nuclear Agency) and the On-Site Inspection Agency as a result of the 1997 Defense Reform Initiative.

In 2005, the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) made the decision to designate the Commander, U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM) as the lead Combatant Command (COCOM) for the integration and synchronization of DoD's Combating WMD (CWMD) efforts in support of U.S. government objectives. To fill this requirement, the USSTRATCOM Center for Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction (SCC-WMD) was collocated with DTRA.

The Desktop Alert Mass Notification Platform is currently pending approval for full DISA/APL accreditation.

About Desktop Alert: http://www.desktopalert.net
Worldwide U.S. Military organizations such as U.S. Northern Command, The United States National Guard, The United States Air Force Academy, The United States Military Academy at West Point, Multi-National Forces in IRAQ and Afghanistan, The U.S. Air Force, The U.S. Army now utilize the Desktop Alert mass notification platform daily for their organizations emergency communication requirements. Desktop Alert can contact thousands of users with desktop alerts and require receipt confirmation of the message. Those not verified can then be listed on a report and/or sent as a "Target Package" to be automatically contacted by other means such as email, SMS, phone calls and other devices.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/DTRA/prweb10263135.htm