Vanguard TTI Conference

RESEARCH TRIANGLE, NC, December 4, 2003 — Rob Welton, EVP of Sales presented a paper titled "Interactive Alert Systems." Key elements of the presentation were:

• Effective homeland security requires quick, targeted dissemination of critical messages and collection/correlation of incoming information, both without unduly burdening the user community.

• The Knowledge Switch (KSX) is designed to solve the dual problem of incoming and outgoing awareness.

• Core capabilities include message routing based on content, rules, and context.

• Data is not stored directly; only metadata (received or user-entered) is maintained.

• Core functional modules of KSX: content manager, profiles manager, scenario engine, dialog engine, and communications engine.

• End-user is not restricted to a particular communication channel, but can provide multiple contact modes.

• A scenario and need-to-know list are assembled independently for each perceived threat.

• Example threat: attack on Port St. Lucie nuclear power plant, which is located in a vulnerable location.

• Each user sets up a profile within the local KSX context; the profile includes identifying/security information, contact prioritization list, group membership, etc.

• Scenarios are defined by out-of-normal-bounds values for Boolean-logic-based assemblages of events.

• An airport-specific system that incorporates KSX is the Secure Perimeter Awareness Network (SPAN).

# # #

<< back