TheServicewasrunningonacomplexunifiedcommunicationsinfrastructurewithseveralelementsthatwouldnolongerhavevendorsupport.
Internal communications were reliant on a Cisco IP telephony infrastructure, but it needed to be brought up to date and to a position where it could be supported effectively.
For emergency services, an unsupported infrastructure can be dangerous. Emergency services’ performance and ongoing durability are regularly audited, and any outdated technology could compromise Staffordshire citizens’ safety.
Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Service therefore had only a limited time to identify an alternative, deploy it and achieve a compliant and supportable infrastructure. It was important that any replacement technology met precise functional, cost, and ease of implementation requirements and was also future-proofed for many years to come. Any system also had to have a high degree of operational and commercial flexibility due to the instability of public services.