Digital technologies are changing how communications occur between citizens and their governments; day-to-day as well as during emergencies.

This technology fundamentally changes the way information processing occurs especially as NG9-1-1 introduces new forms of communications between citizens and their governments. Listen in as Avaya's Mark Fletcher and Guy Clinch discuss this new MegaTrend

This week we go into the trenches with Ricardo Martinez host of the Public Safety Blog "Within the Trenches" available on http://jabberlog.com.

Ricardo shares his insights on MLTS/PBX, NG911 and the funniest call he has ever taken. This is a great view of the issues from the 'other side' of the phone line where call takers work hard to deliver assistance to whomever needs it.

Two years ago, the President signed into law the 21st Century Communication and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (CVAA). The goal of this act was to achieve equal access to 911 emergency services by individuals with disabilities as part of the migration to the national IP enabled emergency network or NG 911, and make that initiative a matter of national policy.

I first saw Smart911 in Philadelphia, two years ago, and immediately became a Smart911 subscriber. Information is stored safely and securely in their private network, and available to 911 calltakers. Info about medical conditions for my family members, as well as medication information and doctors telephone numbers will help 911 help me.

While some naysayers said NG911 would never happen, others took a different view. New mechanisms of dealing with the "Big Data" available in an emergency was essentially foreign to this environment. Fortunately, enterprise businesses have been dealing with the concepts of "Big Data", since networks came into existence.

While some naysayers said it would never happen, others took a different view. New mechanisms of dealing with the "Big Data" available in an emergency was essentially foreign to this environment. Fortunately, enterprise businesses have been dealing with the concepts of "Big Data", since networks came into existence.

The Avaya Podcast Network is doubling in size for 2013, by launching a brand-new Podcast series called Avaya Tech Talk, hosted by my good friend and colleague, Guy Clinch who is a Senior Solutions Manager for Contact Center Solutions at Avaya, and advocate for the Government customer.

Happy Holidays! We're on vacation this week, but we are defying the Mayans and boldly publishing this after the projected end of the world. The winner of the most downloaded podcast of 2012 is EPISODE 100 with Attorney Martha Buyer explaining her new white paper she wrote for CCMI The Voice Report and sponsored by 911 ETC.

This past month at an International Telecommunications Union (ITU) conference on UN telecommunications regulations in Dubai, 193 nations committed to decide between either 911 or 112 as a standard global emergency number for new generations of mobile phones and other devices. If you're going to go that far, and actually state one or the other, then it only makes sense to support both.

The big news this week is Text to 911 and the Big 4 carriers agreeing to implement it with APCO and NENA approvals. How it will get done should be carefully considered. Your actual Mileage May Vary.