Before first responders can do their job, we must first be successful at ours.
Technology Services for Public Safety Agencies
Our 24/7 support programs focus on prevention, detection and response, ensuring the highest reliability for mission critical systems and networks.
A wise choice for Specialized Technology Services in demanding environments.
In an industry where minutes matter, Athena Support Programs provide the extra protection that is key to performance and security. - two -
Athena Advanced Networks provides Technology Services for Public Safety Agencies to support their mission critical IT infrastructure. We recognized the need for a specialized IT support company that could work with the software providers, the Public Safety agencies and the local IT staff to ensure the performance and reliability of their systems and networks. We created Athena to be that company. We understand your need for reliability, performance and security, and we can help you protect and improve your operation. Like the agencies we serve, our support programs are built on three pillars: Prevention, Detection and Response. Also like the agencies we serve, we pride ourselves on fast, qualitative response, 24/7. When you need help, you don’t need someone telling you what you did wrong. What you need is the right solution... and that is our strength. Many of the agencies we support came to us because their system had crashed and they needed help – immediately! Once they understood our support programs they employed our services and have been with us ever since. Most of the agencies we support have very capable IT personnel and they realize that we are that extra, and many times, critical level of support needed to prevent a disaster. Athena helps you mitigate risk and maximize return on your IT infrastructure investment. Our goal is to improve your bottom line however you measure it: uptime, improved services or peace of mind.
When you need help, you don’t need someone telling you what you did wrong. What you need is the right solution... and that is our strength.
Staying abreast of the rapidly developing world of Public Safety information systems and networks is costly and difficult. Having the right resources - including a backup - are essential. Everyone can use help, and Athena Advanced Networks is there to provide that help. As one of our clients reported: “Athena is our Watch Dog and Safety Net!”
Bruce Kelling President and CEO Athena Advanced Networks
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Technology Services Designed to Prevent, Detect and Respond Athena provides IT as a Service (ITaaS) to Public Safety agencies and 911 dispatch centers. Based on our in-depth experience, knowledge of CAD/RMS systems and broad IT expertise, Athena’s managed services offer a broad range of options to fulfill the needs of any size agency. Managed Services The cost of failure in the life and death world of first responders is enormous. It isn’t a matter of saving a few dollars, it’s about making sure that the systems and networks supporting your mission critical operation are there when you need them. Our managed services program gives your Police, Fire, EMS or Corrections agency that extra insurance against system failures. It is built on three interrelated building blocks: • Prevention
– Prevention of failure is more than a one-time step for us – it never stops. In addition to dynamic threat analysis, we assess and recommend process and technology solutions – not just once but continually. • Detection – Our monitoring program is designed to spot issues before they become problems and to spot problems before they become failures. The process starts with identifying and mitigating weaknesses. • Response - When there are potential or actual failures, every second counts. Athena is on the job 24/7. We immediately triage the situation, determine the best course of action and go to work to resolve the issue. We stay on the job until it’s done. System and Network Design and Deployment Athena also provides design and deployment services for your Public Safety 911 system and networking infrastructure. We design, configure, and deploy solutions that fit your needs and goals. From system upgrades to full disaster recovery protection, Athena will help you make the smart decisions. We utilize the latest technologies in IT computing with regards to SAN storage, networking, virtualization, and Cloud enabling.
Troubleshooting and Problem Solving Many of Athena’s long-term client relationships have grown out of problem-solving engagements when we were called in to help during a crisis. We’re the “smoke jumpers” who come in and get your system back up and running. We are experts at tracking down and solving those hard-to-find critical network and system failures or slowdowns. We refer to ourselves as the Red Adair Public Safety IT team. When you call on us, we solve the problem! Project Management and Consulting If you have a requirement that involves a Public Safety IT project, we invite you to call Athena. With our broad base of experience, we are able to align our engineers and processes with experts throughout the industry to provide the best team regardless of the size or scope of the job. For example, we have relocated call centers, implemented disaster recovery sites, staffed a center during a personnel transition, upgraded large networks, and virtualized centers. We have implemented Exchange Server, SharePoint, and have also undertaken data conversions, response time analysis, and procurement planning and specifications. Athena is a can-do company.
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Site Audit
In the business world, audits cover much more than the financial health and viability of a company. They look into processes, staffing, threats, and a myriad of other factors. The results are used to make decisions and guide the company. Annual audits are an essential part of any good business. Mission critical Public Safety systems demand the same level of attention. While often overlooked, regular infrastructure
audits can play a key role in ensuring the stability and performance of high-availability systems. Much like an outside audit for businesses, a Site Audit by Athena provides a report to the stakeholders on the condition and health of the system along with a series of recommendations. Potential problems are identified so they may be resolved.
There are several factors that determine when an audit should be conducted: • The system and network are performing well – and you want to keep it that way. • There are intermittent stability or performance issues (including CAD or Mobile connectivity). • The agency is conducting a strategic planning exercise (go Cloud or stay on premise). • Major components are being added, upgraded or replaced (SAN, Cloud, Virtual). • A new system procurement is contemplated or underway (RFP assessment, site readiness). • There are staffing changes – especially in sensitive or trusted positions. • A new system or application is being placed into operation. • The agency is preparing for a CJIS audit. • The agency is assessing the impact of NextGen911. Results range from averting a potential disaster to reporting a clean bill of health. Athena Site Audits always lead to improvements.
Call today to schedule a free initial phone consultation with one of our system engineers. We welcome the opportunity to speak with you or your IT team about the services we provide.
“ We engaged Athena Advanced Networks to serve as the Police Depart-
ment’s technical support team during the implementation of the New World CAD system. During the project, Athena teamed with our staff, City IT and New World to provide seamless support making this an extremely successful project. Athena was instrumental in helping our department achieve an on-time system go live. Not only did they help us bring the system live, they are providing ongoing services to make sure that things continue to run smoothly. Captain Dan Willis La Mesa Police Department City of La Mesa, CA
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Athena SpyGlass Program - High Availability Monitoring The goal of Athena’s SpyGlass program is to spot and head off issues before they impact critical operations. In other words, to fix problems before they happen! SpyGlass monitoring system utilizes a server to collect and transmit data to the Athena Network Operations Center. Program Description System availability is not optional in a mission critical command and control environment – it is an absolute necessity. Success in the battle for high-availability is determined by the ability to (1) prevent issues from developing in the first place, (2) detect and deter problems early and (3) respond quickly when there are problems or threats. In a high-uptime, high-availability environment, application issues are irritating but the real culprit is in the infrastructure – infrastructure issues can be disastrous. The Athena SpyGlass program monitors and resolves infrastructure issues. The goal of SpyGlass is to spot and head off issues before they impact critical operations. In other words, to fix problems before they happen!
• Help add and configure devices on network to keep
SpyGlass Services The SpyGlass program includes a comprehensive set of services including: • Prepare Site Manual – including an inventory of the system • Establish secure connection between agency system and the Athena NOC • Provide User Guide and Training on Helpdesk operations and troubleshooting • Provide Helpdesk to answer questions, provide advice and solve problems • Accept incidents from monitoring alerts, Helpdesk or other sources • Triage incidents and resolve or get appropriate party involved • Track and report on incidents • Establish monitoring facility to dynamically collect status information • Set thresholds for alerts • Monitor the status of systems and network (see below for details) • Respond whenever something needs attention • Manage patch and firmware updates • Provide recommendations to keep systems and networks in top shape
Systems and Network Monitoring SpyGlass monitoring utilizes a server to collect and transmit data to the Athena Network Operations Center (NOC) hosted at the secure Nlets center in Phoenix, AZ. The following are representative of the conditions monitored:
equipment inventory current • Provide instructions and in-house training on maintaining systems and network • Establish best practices for backups and security/password management • Coordinate monthly status calls with key stakeholders • Analyze and report on conditions – provide regularly scheduled reports on routine matters – immediately report on critical conditions • Serve as an advocate for the agency when dealing with multiple support providers • Deploy staff when on-site services are needed
Server Monitoring • Processor and memory utilization • Disk utilization • Print queues • Error reports • Event logs • Time sync • Backup logs • Logs for high availability disk arrays Network Monitoring • Device status (Up / Down) • Average response time (ping) to device • Packet loss to device • Processor utilization • Memory utilization • Port utilization In summary, Athena monitors the environment and springs into action as soon as something that needs attention is detected.
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Problem Resolution As issues are identified, Athena follows a triage model to isolate the matter into one or more of the following categories: • Application • Hardware • Server • Storage • CAD Workstation • Database • Network • Remote system / interfaces (not being monitored) At this point, Athena either resolves the issue or gets another party involved. In any case, Athena remains in the loop until the matter has been resolved. Communications and Reporting Critical conditions are communicated to the agency immediately. The other monitoring results are reported monthly at a minimum. The quarterly reports include: • All issues detected • Corrective actions take • Summary of storage utilization • Summary of system performance • Status of system backups • Site actions required In addition to these communications, Athena assists in organizing monthly status calls that are attended by a wide range of stakeholders including representatives of management, the primary users within the agency, the applications provider, IT support personnel and others. Helpdesk SpyGlass includes a comprehensive telephone support desk which is available for reporting issues, requesting services, solving routine matters and answering questions during normal working hours. The SpyGlass Helpdesk and support are available 24/7 for all critical matters.
Athena takes the following steps in establishing the SpyGlass program 1. Conduct a System Assurance Review (Athena Inspector program) to assess the requirements and operating environment and identify weaknesses and vulnerabilities that can contribute to problems. 2. Work with the agency to develop a plan to remedy deficiencies and optimize the environment. Agency Support and Facilities The following are needed for Athena to monitor and perform troubleshooting triage of the systems and network: • Remote access to the site using VPN or other secure access facility • Server to support monitoring – can be a virtual machine • Ability to send email alerts and reports from the monitoring system to Athena • Agency contact to assist in coordinating support services • On-site assistance during triage and other problem solving activities Choosing Athena Athena Advanced Networks is uniquely qualified to meet the systems and network services needs supporting mission critical environments: • Experts in Public Safety and justice networks and systems • Full range of network and system administration services – architecture through deployment and support • Current with industry Best Practices and national programs including CJIS Security Policy • Help Desk and Service Bench 24/7 • Flying Squad to be on-site as needed – where and when needed
“ Athena Advanced Networks has provided Monterey
Prerequisites SpyGlass success is based upon the condition and capacity of the environment to support the requirements of the application systems. It is also based upon Athena engineers having an indepth understanding of the requirements and the environment.
County with peace of mind knowing they are monitoring the health of our 911 servers, thus freeing up my time to focus on other tasks. I highly recommend partnering with Athena. Jennifer Crane Systems Programmer Analyst II Monterey County, CA
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Visit the Athena website for additional information: athenaadvancednetworks.com - seven -
Meet Our Management Team The founders are nationally recognized as leaders who have devoted their careers to the deployment and support of mission critical systems. Athena has built its reputation on its responsiveness, knowledge of Public Safety mission critical systems and quality of their work. BRUCE A. KELLING - President and CEO: Bruce is a co-founder of Athena Advanced Networks which is quickly making its mark as the preeminent managed services company serving the needs of mission critical Public Safety systems. Athena is setting new standards for 100% availability of 911 dispatch systems. Prior to Athena, Bruce was the founder and long-time CEO of Tiburon Inc., which for many years was the country’s largest privately owned provider of software systems to Public Safety agencies with over $50M in annual revenue. He was also a founding member of the Integrated Justice Information System (IJIS) Institute, a non-profit organization established at the invitation of the U.S. Department of Justice to help the nation improve its Public Safety and Justice information sharing capabilities. In 2009, Bruce was awarded the prestigious IJIS Shumate Award given annually to the person who contributed most to national information sharing efforts. In 2016, he was recognized again by IJIS and became the second person in the history of the organization to be awarded emeritus status. Currently he chairs the IJIS Institute (FBI) CJIS Programs Advisory Committee which is at the forefront of several national initiatives including Next Generation NCIC, N-DEX, NIBRS, “paperless” UCR and NGI – Next Generation Identification. During his career he managed the design and implementation of scores of large scale Public Safety systems in the U.S. and overseas. Included in these landmark projects were the International Justice and Public Safety Network (Nlets), Florida Crime Information Center (FCIC), the Puerto Rico Criminal Justice System, the Venezuelan Police Information System and several systems in Canada including those of Ottawa, Edmonton, and Winnipeg. Bruce is happily married for many years to his wife Susan and has seven grandchildren. He shares his time between Venice, FL and Southern Oregon. He is an avid traveler and sailor, works on antique sports cars and motorcycles, and studies Spanish.
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DIANE HOUSE - VP of Operations: Diane is Athena’s Vice President of Operations. She is a recognized leader in the Public Safety industry, with more than 25 years of experience. Prior to Athena, Diane was Director of Operations for Tiburon Inc., where she managed large complex projects and programs. Before Tiburon, Diane worked as the Director of Public Safety for Intergraph Belgium, where she built and managed a complex operations and service delivery program following ITIL standards. Her role with Intergraph Belgium included management of the company’s infrastructure team. Prior to her positon with Intergraph, Diane was the Director of Court and Public Safety systems for Tyler Technologies. She entered this field almost 25 years ago as a CAD dispatcher for San Joaquin County, California. During her career she has accumulated operations management experience with Police, Fire, Medical and Jail software systems making her a true Public Safety expert. Diane lives between Gooik, Belgium and Oakdale, California with her husband Marc. Together they are devoted to spending free time with their family and friends. They enjoy competitive sports, hiking and traveling. DENNIS L. MATZEN - VP Of Engineering: Dennis Matzen is the Chief Engineer and one of the initial founders of Athena Advanced Networks, Inc. Dennis has over 35 years in the Public Safety industry. After serving in the Air Force as a radio technician, Dennis joined the Contra Costa County Sherriff’s office where he began his career as a communications technician. He eventually took on the additional role of manager of the County’s 911 CAD dispatch system. This was his introduction to computer and network systems. Following his career with the Sheriff’s office, Dennis joined Tiburon, Inc., where he formed the Systems Support Group (SSG) which provided IT infrastructure support for the company’s clients. Dennis has provided system engineering services to hundreds of agencies located in the U.S. and overseas. In 2010 Dennis teamed up with Bruce Kelling to form Athena Advanced Networks. Dennis continues to build upon his experience at the Sherriff’s office and Tiburon to provide trend-setting managed services, equipment and network deployment, and problem-solving services to Public Safety agencies. Dennis lives on a small ranch in Southern Oregon with his wife Michele. He enjoys helping friends and neighbors with their technology issues. His diverse interests include rafting on the Rogue River, being a ham radio operator and caring for the family horses.
“ The services Athena provides lessens the pressure on your agency’s
own resources and gives specific attention to mission critical servers and applications. This will serve you very well WHEN, not if, you have a situation that Athena discovers and helps you address BEFORE you have a real failure. I feel the service is crucial – I will just say getting Athena on board was one of the best decisions we have made during my tenure with OCSO.
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Susan D’Alessandro IT Supervisor System Administrator Orange County Sheriff’s Office - nine -
Our Partners and Affiliates set the Standards in Safety and Service Partners Athena maintains excellent working relationships with the leading companies providing IT products and services to Public Safety agencies. We regularly team up with engineers from CAD/RMS companies and other service providers to solve difficult problems and improve system performance. Working together, we deliver “best in breed” solutions. For agencies under the Athena umbrella, we dovetail our Helpdesk operations with those of the product companies to provide seamless support covering applications and infrastructure. We bring to each agency the most responsive program available in the industry. Through our company’s excellent business partnerships, we are capable of providing turnkey solutions to meet the most demanding and complex requirements.
Affiliates A long-time supporter of the IJIS Institute and its mission to unite the private and public sectors to improve critical information sharing for those who provide Public Safety and administer justice in our communities, Athena is firmly committed to the development and adoption of industry standards to improve system interoperability. Athena staff have worked with the IJIS Institute since its inception and have provided hundreds of volunteer hours to help the Institute achieve its mission. Our work with the IJIS Institute enables us to stay abreast of industry developments so that we may better serve our clients. The FBI CJIS N-DEx system represents a major breakthrough in information sharing and is a powerful resource for Public Safety and justice agencies. We fully support this important national initiative and the use of the N-DEx IEPD as a national standard. Athena provides a broad range of services to assist agencies in connecting to N-DEx directly or via regional or state systems. Athena stands ready to help – from advice and planning through implementation and support of secure network connections.
“ Athena played a key role throughout our transition to the new system –
they were with us all the way. They conducted a system review as part of getting ready for the cutover and were able to help us solve many problems that could have had disastrous results during go-live of the new system. And lastly, having a knowledgeable (and calm!) engineer on site helping us solve last minute problems was
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absolutely invaluable. Karin Mracek Communication Manager Sheriff’s Office Carson City, NV - ten -
Athena is proud to have provided Public Safety consulting services and/or support to the following agencies: Anne Arundel County, MD Alameda, CA Anchorage, AK Anoka, MN Baltimore, MD Carson City, NV Dane County, WI Douglas County, WA El Paso County, CO Elkhart, IN Farmers Mutual Telephone: Payette County, ID Fort Bend County, TX Fort Collins, CO Fort Worth, TX Fond du Lac County, WI Fremont, CA Grand Prairie, TX Grants Pass, OR
Harris County, TX Hawthorne, CA Houston, TX Jefferson Parish, LA Kansas City, MO Lake County, IL La Mesa, CA Lee County, IL Maryland State Police, MD Lucas County, OH McHenry County, IL Midland, TX Monterey County, CA Montgomery County, OH Orange County SO, FL Orange County Fire, FL Pasadena, TX Phoenix, OR Prince George’s County, MD
Quantico Marine Corp, VA RiverCom911, WA Sacramento Regional Fire: EMS Communication Center, CA San Francisco, CA San Jose, CA Fire Department SnoPac, WA Sumner, TN Sunnyvale, CA Ventura, CA Virginia Beach, VA Volusia County, FL Weld County, CO Weymouth, MA
Before first responders can do their job, we must first be successful at ours. - eleven -
Sacramento Regional Fire/EMS Communications Center strongly endorses the firm of Athena Advanced “ The Networks. As a premier agency in the State of California, we cannot say enough about this incredible team of experts…. Our organization is stronger and our team has grown exponentially thanks to their patience and willingness to partner with our internal team. Today these gentlemen are woven into the fabric of SRFECC, forging strong relationships with our internal customers and constituents alike. It is without any hesitation I recommend Athena Advanced Networks to anyone looking to improve their business practices or who are moving forward with next generation technology. Teresa Murray Chief Executive Director Sacramento Regional Fire EMS Communications Center – SRFECC
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Advanced Networks is one of those rare gems in the world of Information Technology. They “ Athena repeatedly show an uncanny ability to cut through layers of confusion and deliver timely solutions to vexing problems. Their respect for the mission critical nature of Public Safety is demonstrated by their professional approach and superior communication that lends a calming atmosphere to typically stressful situations. I highly recommend Athena as your go-to team for the wide range of services that they offer.
Ed Bean Director of Account Management TriTech Software Systems
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CA, Police Department recently went live with New World System’s Aegis Public Safety CAD “ LaandMesa, Mobile products. This project was the result of a strong collaboration between Athena Networks, La Mesa Police and New World Systems project teams. Athena provided invaluable onsite and remote support to ensure La Mesa Police Department’s computer and network environment was optimized and operational to support the new technology. The level of knowledge and expertise provided by Athena was a key factor in contributing to this most successful go-live. New World Systems looks forward to another successful project with Athena. Jon Easterbrook Sr. Project Manager New World Systems
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been with Athena going on two years and I feel this is one of the best investments that I made to ensure “ Ithehaveup time of our systems. I have found that the service is well worth the cost, knowing that I have professionals to monitor my system and ensure that if I need support, they are always there for Grand Prairie. “
Ed Scheitle Senior IT Analyst Grand Prairie, TX
athenaadvancednetworks.com 4497 Brownridge Terrace - Suite 107 • Medford, OR 97504 Phone: 541-899-9596 Email: info@athenanets.com