Cortex officially accredited on DCS

DCS is the IP-based replacement for Motorola’s Centracom and VORTEX analogue dispatch technologies as they reach an end-of-life status. It replaces legacy integrators including TETRA Proxies and CCI ports with IP technology for a more simplified architecture and creates better audio quality through removing conversions from analogue/digital to IP and vice versa. Line drivers to connect cables are also replaced with IP ports.

Since it’s recently been advised that emergency services control rooms activate DCS before transitioning to the Emergency Services Network (ESN) the availability of DCS functionality in your ICCS supports your journey in getting ready for ESN.

What does it mean for control rooms using Cortex?

Cortex is a sector-leading ICCS that’s used to answer emergency calls and communicate with frontline responders in more than 70 control rooms.

As a Cortex control room, you’ll be able to start using DCS after our next software release, which will be available from June 2021.

What happens next?

With our DCS readiness and accreditation now complete, we’re ready to roll out whenever you are. As one of the core prerequisites in the ESN readiness assessments we’ve been working on with all our customers, it’s worth considering now when you’ll activate DCS as part of your overall ESN transition planning.

DCS will also continue forming an important part of our ESN development roadmap, too, as part of our interworking development and testing program. Ultimately, this will enable the transition from TETRA to ESN through a hybrid period, before all control rooms are operating solely on the Emergency Services Network.