IP telephony in the big freeze

The fully converged telecommunications system - based on Cisco Systems' AVID (architecture for voice, video and integrated data platform) with Call Manager and IP-based telephones – will support 400 staff at AAD headquarters in Hobart and a further 200 at remote Antarctic stations at Casey, Davis, Mawson and Macquarie Island.

Under the deal, AAD will replace its existing PABXs with the IP telephony system later this year. Due to the remote locations and extreme weather conditions, the system's routers will include Cisco's Survival Remote Site Telephony (SRST) feature which is claimed to maintain internal communications in case of satellite link failure, a safety benefit and critical to the success of the project, Logical said in a statement.

AAD required a telephone system at Hobart to cater for renovated, upgraded and additional headquarter buildings and extra personnel, expeditioners and researchers. Its specification included a larger phone system that was able to interconnect with the company's remote sites and provide extra features such as calling line identification, advice of charge and voice mail, the company said.

Logical is providing the network in conjunction with unified messaging and operator consoles from Performance Solutions. An integrated fax service with individual fax numbers for each staff member will be deployed in the future as well as IP phone services to its ships when in harbour via existing wireless networks. Wireless IP phones will also be used in warehouses.

Terry Walsh, MD at Cisco Australia, said Logical was one of the few local systems integrators certified to its revised IP telephony requirements.