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Users of the internet can thank the US military for its existence.  Advanced Research Projects Agency Network or ARPANET as it was known then, was born in the early 1960’s when J.C.R. Licklider, then head of the Behavioral Sciences and Command and Control programs at ARPA, the United States Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, set out to design and build what he termed an "Intergalactic Computer Network".

"For each of these three terminals, I had three different sets of user commands. So if I was talking online with someone at S.D.C. and I wanted to talk to someone I knew at Berkeley or M.I.T. about this, I had to get up from the S.D.C. terminal, go over and log into the other terminal and get in touch with them. I said, oh, man, it's obvious what to do: If you have these three terminals, there ought to be one terminal that goes anywhere you want to go. That idea is the ARPANET." [Bob Taylor]

It was a common myth that the architects of ARPANET set out not only to ‘bridge’ disparate computer communications systems, but to make the network resilient under disaster situations like a nuclear attack where a communications node had been destroyed.  The internet protocol did provide the building blocks for creating a cheap yet resilient network, but this was not the primary aim.

Recently, Umoya was asked to consider expanding its uniti product to solve a major issue faced by Disaster Management during the Confederations Cup; that of different state agencies not being able to communicate across departments.  A SAPS two-way radio mere yards away was unreachable from an EMS radio, which in turn was not compatible with a SANDF radio.  Different terminals, functional silos, islands cut off from each other.  Not good for effective collaboration.

Over the last few months, Umoya have successfully demonstrated a technology known as Radio over IP, where it is possible to link not only disparate radio handsets and talk-groups, but to link fixed and mobile telephones to radio talk groups.  All over IP.  A Disaster Management team member sitting in a Joint Operations Centre in Joburg can link a VoIP enabled netbook in George to an NSRI radio talk-group in PE and an EMS radio talk-group in Bloemfontein; using and “drag and drop” application. Not only that, but a manager in his car can monitor and participate in that conversation from his cell phone.VoIP has always had a special place in my heart for the way it is liberating the telecoms voice market.  RoIP in these scenarios is for me even more exciting.  Coupled with the benefits of uniti as a unified communications platform, this offering looks to add significant value in managing the 2010 Soccer World Cup more effectively.

#RadioOverIP FTW!

This week, we take Dave Gale out from behind the mic and put him in front of it.

Ed: Dave, your role in Umoya?

Dave: To assist Peter in growing the business, giving input and help with Product, Sales, Marketing, PR, Regulatory, etc.

Ed: So Dave tell me where were you born?

Dave: Greytown, Natal on a forestry estate.

Ed: A forestry estate that sounds so awesome.

Ed: So tell us what did the folks do?

Dave: My dad was a forester, later a store-keeper, then an agricultural missionary.  My mom was a legal secretary.

Ed: Where did you grow up?

Dave: All over KZN! We moved a lot.  I had lived in 11 houses by the time I was 13.

Ed: Phew that is a lot of houses, I can’t keep up. You must be a highly skilled box packer.

Dave: We had about 20 wooden tea-chests - my dad had stenciled numbers on the side and we had a ledger which listed what went in which box.  I know, a bit bizarre!

Ed; What did you want to be as a kid?

Dave: A Game Ranger.

Ed: Where did you go to school?

Dave: hmm.. let me think, its been a while! ;)  Hilton College for high school and then UCT for BSc & MSc Elec Eng.

Ed: what else have you worked as?

Dave:  A number of things. Nature Conservator, Engineer, Project Manager, Product Manager, Business Developer.

Ed: I can tell you are a man of many talents.

Dave: I get bored easily.

Ed: We all have things we love and hate, what are yours?

Dave: I love a challenge, working with my hands, the outdoors, honest straight-talking, positive, enthusiastic people.

I hate lies and deceit, bad service, being sick, confined spaces and selfish, negative people.

Ed: I'm with you on that one.

Ed: What is your pet name with Umoya team?

Dave: I've been at Umoya too short a time to have any kind of rep.

Ed: Last but not least, if you were a wild animal what would you be?

Dave: A leopard- they're pretty independent types :)

This week, we interview Candice de Villiers, a relatively new member of the Umoya team, who works in Accounts, but is nothing like the fierce accounting trolls that lurk in Dilbert cartoons!

[ed] Tell us where did you grow up?

[Candice] Vanderbijlpark but shhhhh! don’t tell.:)

[ed] What did you dream of being as a little girl?

[Candice] A Doctor.

[ed] Ah, OK - dealing with sick people day in and day out? I can see why you chose accounting!

[ed]  What are the things in life you love and hate?

[Candice] I love Jesus, chocolate, <hmm... yum!>, dancing, swimming, the outdoors, reading, family and friends.

[Candice] I hate spiders <eeek> Brussells sprouts, all things unjust, and anything or anyone fake.

[ed] You work in the Finance Department of Umoya?

[Candice] I do.

[ed] Is it challenging?

[Candice] I'll say! Kitty and I have had a real challenge in getting the financial management system working well and now that I'm being asked to take responsibility for modeling possible futures for Umoya for products and projects Umoya is planning to do, I get to take a more strategic look at life, which is cool.

[ed] What do the the rest of the staff call you?  Do you have a “pet” name?

[Candice] Umm let me think... “Candice”?

[ed] Ooo... a sense of humour?  Are you sure you work in accounts?

[ed] My final question: If you were a wild animal what would you choose to be?

[Candice] A panda. Have you seen how cute they are?!

[ed] Aww... you're not doing too bad on that front Candice! ;) <chuckle>

Yesterday (2009/10/14) was World Disaster Reduction Day - did you know that?  I certainly had no clue.  The United Nations celebrated it by testing an early warning system put in place after the 2004 disaster. 18 participating countries around the Indian Ocean rim were "activated" with a surprise drill called “Exercise Indian Ocean Wave 09”.

Umoya being a supplier of VSAT & VoIP services for the local Disaster Management, CEO Peter Beretta, and Isaac Edwards, one of the Umoya tech team, got less sleep than they had planned.
 
"I was rudely awakened this morning at 02:30 by a call from the Disaster Management Centre at Tygerberg to say that the centre has been activated by a Tsunami warning.   I was not told that this was an exercise, but nevertheless it is important that we responded when called upon."

Isaac headed off into the night to sort out some simulated problems (and one real one!)  - Umoya being the first vendor to respond. 

This is a great exercise in preparing for 2010 emergencies and highlighted the need for one of the solutions Umoya is developing and introducing - uniti.

Good to know the tires have been kicked and that the wheels did not fall off!  Let's pray we never have to do it for real.

Umoya has sponsored the Fish Hoek U15A soccer team during 2009. Thanks to Klaus Ferger, a dedicated and superb coach, and to the team who have worked hard to win the league. Next year they will be promoted to the Super League. Well done Coach and players!