In our research, we confirmed that the XOP solution meets and exceeds all FAA requirements for Airport Operations.
XOP Networks, Inc., a manufacturer of Value Added Service platforms and Audio Conference Bridges announced today that Smartcom Telephone, LLC has deployed XOP Networks’ Universal Service Node(USN) with the Enhanced Firebar Application to provide Crash Net service to McAllen Miller International Airport (MFE) as part of the new Regional Fire Communications Center, a joint venture between the cities of McAllen and Pharr, Texas.
The new system deployed by Smartcom replaces a Tellabs 291 Firebar sitting on the line side of the central office switch which was used to provide emergency communications in the event of an Airport emergency. The City chose Smartcom as their new provider after seeing the functionality of the new system. The XOP-provided Enhanced Firebar application runs on its Universal Service Node platform that sits on the trunk side of Smartcom’s McAllen-based Taqua T7000 NextGen switch and provides the same feature/functionality/reliability that was provided by the Tellabs equipment previously. In addition it provides enhanced features such as call logging, email/SMS alerts, etc.
“We were very pleased with XOP Networks’ assistance in meeting the needs of City of McAllen and the McAllen Miller International Airport. XOP worked with us to provide a demonstration system so that we could show the city officials how the system would work. Even more importantly, XOP has provided us a backup on their hosted system in case the Airport system is ever out of service. XOP has been a great partner in this important project and delivered the system within 2 weeks of our order. We basically took it out of the box, plugged it in and it worked the first time. Integration of the SIP trunk with our Taqua switch went quite smoothly. In our research, we confirmed that the XOP solution meets and exceeds all FAA requirements for airport operations. We hope to bring this same level of service to our other area Airports in the near future”, said Howard L. Hawbaker, Director of Operations for Smartcom Telephone.
“We are happy to welcome Smartcom and McAllen Miller International Airport to our growing list of Enhanced Firebar customers. XOP Networks’ trunk side solution provides more flexibility to Independent Telephone Companies in providing Firebar/ Crashnet service to their end customers”, added Sudhir Gupta, CEO of XOP Networks.
About Smartcom Telephone, LLC
Smartcom Telephone, LLC is a privately-held Competitive Local Exchange Carrier ("CLEC") based in McAllen, Texas. The family-owned company was formed in 1999, but the family has been in business in the South Texas area for over 100 years. This provides a unique insight into how the area has grown…and will continue to grow. Smartcom provides copper and fiber-based telephone, data and internet services to many municipal governments, school districts, health-care facilities and other commercial customers in the South Texas area.
About XOP Networks
Beginning in 2003, XOP Networks embarked on developing a next generation IP based service and application platform. Realizing this vision, it shipped its first product, a Digital Collaboration Bridge (DCB) in 2004. A DCB combines rich Audio Conferencing with Desktop sharing, Document sharing and White boarding, thus creating a collaborative experience for the end users. Leveraging the success of the DCB, the product portfolio was expanded in 2005 to include the Group Alerting and Conferencing Server (GACS). The GACS allows mass notification messages to be dispatched over a variety of communications networks, while it brings an organization's brain trust into a quick audio conference. Year 2006 saw the addition of the enhanced Voice Mail Server (VMS) to the product line. In 2007 XOP Networks launched its Universal Service Node (USN) which offers multiple value added services on one platform. In 2008, we added support for Hoot and Holler conferencing over TDM and VoIP networks on our USN platform. In 2009 we introduced Ring down Firebar Conference (RFCS) that allows a conference to be set up simply by lifting a handset on an analog or IP phone. Several other enhancements were introduced including support for Secure conferencing, SMS driven instant-conferencing, Group SMS and Voice SMS. In 2010 the product line was further hardened for use in defense networks and received the coveted JITC certification from the US Department of Defense. In 2011, Desktop Video Conferencing and One Number Service were added to the product line.
Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, XOP Networks was founded in 2002 and is backed by a seasoned management team. Deployed at multiple Fortune 100 companies, CLEC/IOC customers, Government organizations, DOD networks (Air Force, Army and Navy) XOP Networks' products allow customers to improve employee productivity, increase business efficiency and enhance emergency communications. Having both TDM and VoIP interfaces, XOP products allow customers to seamlessly transition their value added services from legacy circuit switched networks to VoIP based packet switched networks.