Emergency Call Systems for Today and Tomorrow

2N’s products utilize gateway and IP technology to fit local passenger communication needs.

Internet Protocol is becoming ever more present in our daily lives and all industries around the world. 2N TELEKOMUNIKACE, based in the Czech Republic and part of AXIS Communication Co., states that as it operates in more than 125 countries around the world, it has noticed that in some, the highest technology for emergency communication is used, while others have simple solutions just to get by. Nations it points out as leading the technology trends include the U.A.E., Germany and Norway.

By contrast, many European elevators use a bell to announce a possible elevator entrapment. Each country’s legislation then specifies how emergency communication should work. The relevant code mentions the backup communication required, along with instructions on how to start the call, and how and when the entrapped person should be rescued. 2N sees many issues with this method and offers products to replace these old installations’ emergency communications systems with improved designs. 

2N identifies its most common solution as an emergency communicator connected to a GSM/UMTS gateway. This combination has the advantage of independence from any wired connection, meaning there is no reason to wait for the landline to be completed in a building to initiate handover to the owner. Additionally, it powers the communicator and can be used in both existing and new installations.

The New Generation

The LiftIP is a new generation of the company’s Lift8 continuous-monitoring device (ELEVATOR WORLD, October 2016) using Voice over IP (VoIP) technology for transmitting sound directly from a lift cabin. It is recommended for new installations and smart buildings, where IP is prevailing as the building’s sole communication interface. It can be installed anywhere an IP infrastructure is available. 2N states the device’s main benefits are ease of installation, high modularity and a flexible interface (GSM/UMTS/PSTN/VoIP).

Intent on disposing of a “hybrid” IP emergency communicator (with the IP going to the machine room, then using a two-wire bus), 2N has developed LiftIP for single-elevator installations. The main benefit is the possibility of remote monitoring: as the device is a part of a local area network, users can instantly check on its status and program it remotely.

The Next Generation

The company calls the “next generation network” (NGN) “the future of development,” which is already in place. NGN is a body of key architectural changes in telecommunication core and access networks. In it, one network transports all information and services (including voice, data and video) by encapsulating them into IP packets similar to those used on the Internet. NGNs are commonly built around IP. 2N feels the switch to NGN for the elevator industry is a crucial step that will affect many cities, companies and people worldwide. It points out Australia, Germany, France and Switzerland as already in the process of getting ready for the switch. It also anticipates the public switched telephone network (also known as “plain old telephone service”) to be completely shut down, country by country, by 2022.

www.2n.cz