Confessions of a CTO

by Chris Boulton, CTO, Clearspan

It’s confession time.  Before joining Clearspan as CTO during the middle of last year I had heard of a few famous Ray’s who originate from the US.  Born, raised, and residing in Wales (UK), I knew about the mesmerising silky vocals of Ray Charles and the equally silky skills in the ring of Ray Charles Leonard (Sugar Ray).  I did not, however, have a clue about Ray Baum and the equally important Kari’s Law.

To summarise for those in the same position as myself, the Ray Baum Act is a tightening of responsibilities for communications systems by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to provide up-to-date and precise end user location information when initiating interactions with 911 Emergency Services.  It may seem obvious, but the accuracy of location precision ultimately increases the chances of a successful outcome which can only be positive for end users.  The Ray Baum Act most definitely adds complexity to communication systems when you consider the myriad of devices, shared call appearances, and endpoints that are now consumed which has only increased by the ongoing global pandemic.  Increased remote working and learning has thrust the importance of initiatives such as Ray Baum and Kari’s Law (the ability to dial 911 without a prefix) to the forefront of 2021 activities.  You really can’t afford to be left behind.

“Relax” I hear you cry, there is loads of time before I need to be proactive.  Sorry, that is simply not true – that coming from one of the most relaxed guys on the planet.  I don’t want to spook folks, but deadlines are approaching fast and now is the time to start planning your journey to compliance.  For Voice Over IP (VOIP) communications systems, including Multi-Line Telephone Systems (MLTS), non-fixed devices, and off-premise devices, the compliance date is set at January 6, 2022.  As well the morale duty to comply for the sake of your employees, non-compliance will be costly for your organisation with a combination of fines and even daily charges for those found to be not appropriately prepared.  There is also the awful prospect of not providing an appropriately safe environment for those that work within your organisation just when they need it during a crisis.

“Fear not” he says with complete and utter confidence, my Clearspan colleagues are here to lift the mist that surrounds compliance to Ray Baum through comprehensive solution offerings that can be tailored to your needs.  This is complimented by our industry expertise that has been earned over many decades designing, delivering, and maintaining large complex communication systems.  Clearspan prides itself as being the communications partner you can trust, and this topic area is no different.

If you are in the same situation that I found myself in last year, then now is the time to be proactive.  It’s not too late to act to ensure a smooth transition to compliancy and the Clearspan team are here to help.  Contact the team today to talk through your requirements to determine how we can ensure a smooth path to compliancy and success.  Confession over until the next time.