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A leading provider of network-centric emergency mass notification systems to military, homeland security, government and commercial organizations AtHoc, Inc recently announced that the Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA), the agency responsible for the security of the Pentagon has deployed AtHoc IWSAlerts for its mass notification requirements.

The deployment is a part of Pentagon’s modernization initiative for its Computer Emergency Notification System (CENS). The CENS was launched shortly after the 9/11 attacks.

 AtHOC’s alert system gives PFPA an IP-based, integrated alerting capability to rapidly notify personnel to ensure safety. The upgraded notification system will also allow the personnel to account for their status and to protect critical infrastructure.

The AtHoc IWSAlerts mass notification solution will enable PFPA to rapidly send alerts through its IP network to connected computers. In addition, the system will also allow the personnel to SMS text messages to cell phones and send voice alerts to office, home and mobile phones.

In the press release, AtHoc explained that alerts to computer workstations are designed to override the computer screen with an intrusive audio/visual message that describes the threat. Phone (News - Alert) alerts can be sent both as text and voice, so that the recipient can revert back and indicate their status. All responses are aggregated and immediately communicated back to PFPA operators in their Integrated Emergency Operation Center. This helps achieve prompt situational awareness of personnel status and accountability. The system can prove helpful not only to rapidly reach personnel within Pentagon facilities but also communicate with personnel while off facility for warning and recall.

“AtHoc is honored to provide PFPA, the agency charged with protecting the nation's defense headquarters and leadership, a mission-proven, state-of-the-art and highly reliable mass notification system. This deployment is a culmination of AtHoc's long standing partnership with the Department of Defense (DoD) which over the years has led to the protection of more than 1.5 million soldiers, airmen, sailors and marines, both in their home bases and in combat zones,” CEO and President for AtHoc Guy Miasnik noted in a statement.

PFPA will be able to implement the AtHoc's solution software in its own secure private network. The mass notification system will cover all five branches of the Pentagon cross-domain, over their respective separate networks. The internal implementation assures the security and privacy of all information used by the notification system.

Follow-on phases of the AtHoc mass notification implementation will include integration with internal Pentagon-wide communication systems such as fire protection and public address systems by SimplexGrinnell, the officials with AtHoc explained.

Last year, AtHoc, Inc., has been awarded the Government Security News' (GSN ) 2010 Homeland Security Award for AtHoc IWSAlerts Unified Notification Server (AtHoc UNS) Integrated with Cisco (News - Alert) Unified Communications Manager (UCM).