A Cisco System to Make Radios Work Together

[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: John Markoff]
Cisco Systems plans to announce today a new method -- based on a widely used Internet telephone standard -- for marrying the frequently incompatible radio gear used by emergency services agencies and businesses. The approach is aimed at connecting the diverse array of push-to-talk radio systems with other voice and data systems without the expense of replacing the existing systems. Cisco executives said the method, based on existing network routers, could be used in the transportation, finance and retail industries as well as at public safety agencies. The system, a set of software programs and hardware interfaces that connect with existing radio networks, will likely prove most immediately useful in emergencies. The new approach is known as Internet Protocol Interoperability and Collaboration Systems, or Ipics, and it essentially converts voice traffic on radios and cellphones into data traffic over existing networks.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/24/technology/24cisco.html?pagewanted=all
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