Tasmania switches on new Triple Zero platform

The Tasmanian government has switched on its new Triple Zero emergency response platform for the state’s police, fire and ambulance services.

The platform, which has been provided by NEC Australia, went live in Tasmanian Emergency Operations Centres in January to replace Telstra's analogue telephone service.

Telstra's Triple Zero system known as Telstra CustomNet or Spectrum had been in place for more than 25 years and was based on outdated copper infrastructure.

But due to changes to national legislative requirements, the analogue services was due to be switched off and decommissioned in April.

The Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management went looking for a new system in June 2018 ahead of the decommissioning, which NEC subsequently won.

The new system is based on NEC’s UNIVERGE SV9500 unified communications solution, which NEC said was a “reliable, scalable, adaptable and easy-to-manage” system.

The solution also supports Triple Zero services in other states such as the Emergency Services Telecommunications Agency in Victoria.

Under the agreement with DPFEM and the Department of Health and Human Services, NEC manage the system for the next five years and retain ownership of all hardware and software.

NEC Australia’s managing director Mitsuhiro Murooka said the system was “crucial” for all Tasmanians.

“There can be few things more important that a government can provide its citizens than a reliable triple zero service,” he said.

“NEC is respected the world over for our innovation and reliability in IT service delivery and we are pleased to have been able to cooperate with the Tasmanian government in delivering the latest technology for this potentially lifesaving service.”