Received this today from my inside sales manager. Though you "might" consider blowing your own horn - it is still cool. Kevin Wigle ----- Original Message ----- From: "Will Cox" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <Recipient list suppressed> Sent: Wednesday, February 14, 2001 9:15 AM Subject: Is this COOL or what? Cisco Space Phones! > Enjoy the read!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! > > > >>Yesterday, at approximately 4:09 PM Central, the first phone call from > space was made. Astronaut Marsha Ivin, using a Cisco IP SoftPhone on the > Space Shuttle Atlantis, made the first and second telephone calls EVER from > space. > >> > >> > >>NASA has had CallManager software in a development lab since prior to > the Selsius acquisition by Cisco. The Selsius, and now second-generation > Cisco phones, have been unusually tolerant to the satellite delay between > Mission Control in Houston and the Shuttle. Brett Parrish, lead NASA > engineer on this project, holds our CallManager software in very high > regard, especially since finding it works over satellite delay without > modification between our hardware-based phones (tested to up to 1.2 seconds > of delay). Brett has stated that it is very unusual for an application to > work out of the box with this type of delay. > >> > >> > >>Since certification for flight is an extremely long and, at times, > extremely political process, NASA decided to use SoftPhone for the first > trial. The main reason for this is that the laptop PCs used by NASA > astronauts have already been certified, and getting a software process in > flight is much easier than launching hardware. Extensive testing was > performed at NASA using custom-built equipment to replicate the delays and > LOS (Loss Of Signal) conditions common with the Space Shuttle. Minor > modifications were made to CallManager (inclusion of a service parameter) > and to SoftPhone (change in the order of events for call acceptance) by > Cisco development to address TAPI issues with delay, and SoftPhone was > approved for a trial flight. Unfortunately, this was not an official goal > of the Space Shuttle Atlantis, which simply meant testing was not > scheduled, and not guaranteed. Despite the lack of official stature for > this test, optimism that SoftPhone would be tested was very high as the > Astronauts had seen the application and were demanding that it fly with the > Shuttle. Imagine being out in space with no way to call home! Imagine being > IN space and being able to make a normal phone call anywhere! Despite all > the technological advances, separation is very apparent when out in space. > Never has an Astronaut been able to pick up a phone and place a call. > >> > >> > >>At approximately 4:00PM Central the opportunity to make a call using the > Cisco IP SoftPhone became available. Marsha Ivin, with a brief break in > official tasks, asked Space Command if there was time to try the IP > SoftPhone. The Flight Commander gave the go-ahead and the test was on!. > Marsha booted up the SoftPhone and at approximately 4:09PM made a call to > the Flight Director. The call went from her SoftPhone software through a > VG-200 gateway, over an FXO port, through a PBX to the phone on the Flight > Director s desk. They held a long and animated conversation (though what > was actually discussed is unknown) and at the end Marsha was granted > permission to call one of the 7960 phones in the POC (Payload Operations > Center). She made the call and it was answered by Brett Parrish. Marsha > asked So how do you like getting the second ever call from space? . After > speaking with Brett, Steve Schadelbauer of NASA was put on the line and he > spoke with Marsha. The conversations with Marsha lasted for several > minutes. Both Brett and Steve commented at how clear the conversation was > much better than the audio quality found on the radio conversations with > the Shuttle. > >> > >> > >>It was amazing at how much of a non-event this was. History in the > making but no scrambling, no trouble-shooting. IT JUST WORKS !!! Most of > the credit goes to Brett and Steve for their tireless testing and > replication of the Shuttle s environment. On the other hand, this is truly > an illustration of how Cisco s IP Telephony makes geographic location > irrelevant to audio communications. Anywhere, and that means ANYWHERE, you > have IP connectivity you have a COMMUNICATIONS network, which includes > telephony. The network works, no excuses! > >> > >> > >>This is a tribute to many things. Brett and Steve put our software and > hardware through the ringer at NASA subjecting it to delay, loss of signal, > and bit error rates well above what would be found even between Mission > Control and the Shuttle. As a result, this historic moment was a non event. > Also as a result, future applications are so real that only official > testing and approval stand in the way. We have successfully tested 7960 > phones in the Space Station and in the Shuttle and they work better than > the SoftPhone. It will be a while before we see them as mission approval is > a long, and yes political, process. As an example, safety testing must > include the INCINERATION of a hardware phone to test for toxic emissions. > As far as future capabilities, we have demonstrated SoftPhone > collaboration, whiteboarding, and chat features in the NASA lab. All work > better than existing capabilities. ART (Administrative reporting Tool) > meets requirements from Space Command for call tracking. XML display > capabilities add additional value to the hardware phones and we expect to > demonstrate that value and put 7960s in Mission Control. > Will Cox > Inside Sales-Canada > Cisco Systems, Inc. > 7025 Kit Creek Road > P.O. Box 14987 > Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA 27709 > Direct: 800-888-8187 x24509 > Fax: 919-392-4744 > Pager: 1-800-365-4578 > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > www.cisco.com > > For Pre-Sales Technical Support and Customer Service call: 1- 800-462-4726 > > Cisco Technical Assistance Center (24hr): 1- 800-553-2447 > > Empowering the Internet Generation _________________________________ FAQ, list archives, and subscription info: http://www.groupstudy.com/list/cisco.html Report misconduct and Nondisclosure violations to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
