Let me let you in on a little secret – I don’t like to fly.

Planes are required to operate in some pretty harsh environments – high altitude, extremely low temperatures, and constantly changing weather patterns, it’s an incredible feat for a plane to be flexible enough to manage all of that and operate without issue.

Yet, I am reassured by the level of engineering that goes into keeping a plane aloft – multiple redundant systems, de-icing technology, advanced navigation and instrumentation, even autopilots that can LAND a plane. The best word to describe the qualities of modern passenger airplanes is resilience. They work and they work well, no matter the environment they are asked to perform in. It’s no wonder flying is simply the safest form of travel today.

We take that level of resilience for granted with respect to communications networks. If you have a landline in your home, you’ll notice that dial tone is still available if the power goes out – ever wonder why? Walk into the basement of a service provider’s central office and you’ll find a large pool of high-powered batteries – the very batteries that supply backup power to the network if there’s an electrical outage.

Modern IP networks and equipment rely on other methods to be resilient. High availability, failover, local survivability, and similar features ensure that a network has maximum uptime. Bear in mind, networking equipment is typically deployed in very controlled, protected conditions, where temperature is regulated, systems are physically bolted down, and shielded away from weather or natural elements.

Not so with field-deployed equipment. Military and first responders are often called upon to act in harsh conditions (think oceans or deserts) and communication plays a major role in their ability to conduct their mission. Nothing could be more reassuring to field personnel that put their lives on the line than knowing they can communicate whenever and wherever necessary. While there is an industry devoted to manufacturing hardened, purpose-built equipment, not every piece of equipment deployed in the field falls in this category – much of it is the same equipment that is used in the safe, protected environments noted above.

It’s reassuring when you KNOW the level of engineering that goes into keeping equipment operating in the field. For example, take a look at the following picture:

The picture shows a Sonus VX900 returned from a military field deployment in the desert (believe it or not, a common environment where the VX is used). Following a routine cleaning (usually vacuumed out), the unit is tested and then returned to service without issue. That’s a clear example of resilience, and it’s no surprise that the VX900 is selected to operate in such a demanding environment – it works and it works well (not unlike a modern passenger airplane, right?). The VX900 isn’t hardened per se, but it is designed specifically for military and first responder applications, including features such as AS-SIP/MLPP (for call prioritization), and VTP/BSP (which optimizes voice traffic over challenged links, such as SATCOM or bandwidth-constrained land radio). That it’s one tough cookie is an added and welcomed bonus!

Although the VX900 doesn’t have wings, and won’t settle my nerves when flying, tactical and field personnel can take comfort knowing that their communications will be secure, available and most of all – resilient.