As public safety solutions providers debut more cloud-based offerings, agencies considering technology upgrades are faced with a critical decision: is it time to move to the cloud?
Moving systems such as computer-aided dispatch (CAD) to the cloud provides unique advantages such as greater shared access across multiple-agency partnerships, flexible connectivity, and secure communications that are not reliant on the security of one physical location.
What is the cloud, actually?
In a traditional on-premises solution, everything stays in the agency’s data center with no cloud. When considering a move to the cloud, there are three options:
- Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) provides cloud as a basic extension of data centers, but the on-premises data center still controls everything.
- Platform as a Service (PaaS) is when cloud providers do everything except manage data and the applications on top.
- Software as a Service (SaaS) is an “all-cloud” solution in which agencies pay for a subscription and access the software through browsers or mobile apps.
Cybercrimes and cyber defense
Despite the advantages and flexibility of cloud-based solutions, some agencies still cite concerns about cybercrime, cybersecurity, and compliance standards. To that end, cloud providers are constantly engaged in cyber defense and striving to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals.
For example, says Rick Zak, Microsoft’s Director of Justice and Public Safety Solutions, “We run a digital crimes unit in our headquarters outside Seattle. From there, we partner with law enforcement agencies around the world.”
Microsoft doesn’t just provide those agencies with the tools that they need to stop cybercrime, he adds, explaining, “We actually partner with them to support their work and stop malware and support prosecutions. Everything we learn from the cyber defense gets baked into our cloud.”
Cybersecurity standards
The same standards that apply in an agency apply in the cloud. Fortunately, cloud providers build security and compliance from the ground up in each data center. Their massive investments into cybersecurity benefit public safety agencies of all sizes, and in some cases, the resulting compliance and security may be stronger than the previous in-house standards.
Hexagon and the cloud
Ultimately, cloud-based solutions offer increased flexibility and access to solutions that require high-powered computing, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning.
For its part, Hexagon has invested in the comprehensive, next-generation HxGN OnCall® public safety portfolio, which is available on-premises or in the cloud. OnCall encompasses call-taking and dispatch, records, analytics, major event management, and mobility. It also supports on-premises, customer-hosted, or SaaS deployments. With Hexagon’s solutions, call-takers and dispatchers can easily collect and share information among dozens of agencies in real-time, ensuring fast and appropriate resource management.
Ready to make your move into the cloud? Visit HxGN OnCall to learn more.
