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IES is an Italian SME, based in Roma and Catania. As the company name suggest, IES is operating on the market of services and technologies for the Environmental and the Safety/Security domains.
The addressed main technological areas are:

Omnitor is a private company based in Stockholm, Sweden, devoted to communication accessible to people with disabilities. Since its foundation in 1995, Omnitor has contributed to development and deployment of state-of-the art solutions for accessible communication, and always with openness, interoperability and standards compliance in mind. Omnitor has led and participated in many projects demonstrating the feasibility and benefits of new communication features for the accessibility field.  A focus area for a lot of the activities at Omnitor is communication for deaf, deaf-blind and hard-of-hearing users.  More than half the staff consists of deaf and hard-of-hearing communication experts, thus having deep insight in the user's needs and special skill in communicating with the users. This has led to a thorough confidence from the Swedish market, resulting in a market-leading position with over 2000 users of the Total Conversation product Allan eC, developed by Omnitor.

UB-CDS, University of Bristol: has existed as an academic centre for 30 years working with Deaf People, their language and community.  There has been extensive research work on all aspects from very young infants to elderly Deaf people.  For the last 10 years, a focus has been on the delivery of information to Deaf people, with telecommunications a special area of interest.  UB-CDS has been involved in European projects since 1983. UB-CDS has coordinated multinational projects in ESF (1991-2000), Human Capital & Mobility (1993-5), ACTS, TIDE and in IST in FP5 (2001 -2004).  It has also participated in a range of projects in FP4, in Leonardo and in other pan-European projects.  

For the last five years, UB-CDS has provided information in sign language to Deaf people through DeafStation (an online daily news service in sign language) and to hearing people about sign language on SignStation (over 10,000 users).  It continues to work closely with the Fire and police services to supply sign language information to the Deaf community.  In conjunction with local enterprises, UB-CDS has supported the installation of videophones in users' homes, has provided the evaluation and monitoring framework, has trained users and worked with local authorities.  

Since 1993 the team at AuPix has been working in the video telephony market selling endpoints for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people. From early 2006 the company has also been supplying the infrastructure to enable video telephony calls over the internet. The product range includes desktop videophones, PC based softclients, Video PBXs and a Video Call Center. All these products support voice, video and text communications which are SIP-based (optionally H323) and compatible with the media standards used in the Total Conversation specification.  That is, fully standards compliant.
Currently the company's products are being used by two Video Relay Services in the US and are being trialled by a number of companies throughout Europe. The US operation is considerable and demonstrates the scalability of the Total Conversation platform which we offer. The companies based in the US can each have hundreds of simultaneous calls from thousands of customers. They generate 100's of thousands of VRS minutes every month. AuPix is focused primarily on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing market and is working closely with SignWales to implement and support voice, video and text communications using Total Conversation terminals and clients

RNID is the largest charity representing the 9 million deaf and hard of hearing people in the UK. Our vision is a world where deafness or hearing does not limit or determine opportunity, and where people value their hearing.
A unique asset of RNID is its award winning New Technologies department, consisting of scientists, engineers, programmers and researchers in the field of Information and Communication Technology. RNID partners up with major stakeholders across all ICT domains in order to achieve real and lasting change through projects that focus on meeting user requirements, while being strongly based on technological and economic feasibility and sustainability. The New Technologies team has strong expertise in user requirements gathering and analysis, accessibility, IP and telecommunications. The department has created a range of real time text communication tools including a mobile textphone, web and home PC versions and a business solution allowing greatly increased access for deaf and hard of hearing people. RNID Typetalk is the UK's national text to voice relay service, available 24/7. RNID Typetalk has over 2 million relay calls every year.

Avon FRS provides an operational and community safety service covering the four Unitary Authorities of Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire to a population of approximately one million covering an area of 134,753 hectares.
Avon Fire & Rescue Service reports to the Avon Fire Authority. The fire authority is made up of 25 locally elected members from across the four unitary areas of Avon. At Government level, the service comes under the control of the department of Communities and Local Government (CLG). The CLG produce a 'National Framework for Fire & Rescue Services' that sets out their expectations for a modern service. Avon Fire & Rescue Service fully endorse the aims of the National Framework.  More locally, we liaise with the Government Office South West (GOSW), which also works with our fire service colleagues throughout the region. Every year the service is thoroughly audited by the Audit Commission on behalf of the CLG. The Commission publishes a report that assesses how well we are performing in terms of our rate of improvement and our use of the resources we have. This assessment is partly based on our performance figures and partly on how well our support processes are designed and managed. Avon FRS employees around 1100 employees, the majority being operational staff and managers.

Avon and Somerset Constabulary (ASP) was formed in April 1974, but our roots stretch back into the past.  The force today is the amalgamation of the former Bristol Constabulary, Somerset and Bath Constabulary and the Staple Hill division of Gloucestershire Constabulary.  One of the largest forces in England and Wales, we police a population of almost 1.5 million people and 1,855 square miles that take in virtually every kind of landscape - city centres, wild moors, dense forests, busy holiday resorts and vast commercial and industrial complexes.

KLPD is an agency of the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations.  As a division of the Ministry, the KLPD is under the direct command of the Minister.  The executive is formed by the 'KLPD-triangle', which consists of the Mandated Director of the force (the Director General for Public Order and Security), the Chief Public Prosecutor of the National Public Prosecutors' Office, and the Chief Constable of the KLPD.  In formal terms, the Minister of the Interior is the director of the force, assisted by the Chief Constable of the KLPD. The authority for serious criminal investigations lies with the Chief Public Prosecutor. For the remaining activities of the divisions of the KLPD in various regions of the Netherlands, the power lies with the local authority.

KLPD runs a call- and contact centre (PSAP) handling 4,5 million 112 calls yearly. This includes textphones and My SOS alarms used by deaf and speech disabled users.  KLPD controls and develops tactical and operational policies using 112 in the Netherlands.  In April 2008 a full IP  (Avaya) contact centre system became operational.  It is ready for handling speech and data. The traditional Texphone functionality will be integrated in Q4-2008 and My SOS in Q1-2009.

KLPD will integrate Real Time Text functionality in the 112-platform and set up communication with deaf and speech disabled people to improve the 112-service and the direct contact with emergency services.

4C Telecom was founded in 2000, in the Netherlands. With the sole purpose of making modern telecommunication available to a group of people that previously have been excluded (deaf, hard of hearing and speech impaired people and their relatives).  It was a Dutch social enterprise project that proved the need and commercial capabilities of mobile telecommunication for the hearing and speech impaired. 4C Telecom was created as a result of the success.  The service is now available in the Netherlands.

AnnieS, provides assistive devices to deaf and hard of hearing people in the Netherlands.  AnnieS is the reseller of the Real Time Text service in the Netherlands.  AnnieS also provides media services online such as video reports of events in the deaf and hard of hearing communities with sign-language and subtitling.

Grenoble University Hospital is the primary health institution at the European crossroads (Grenoble Lyon Geneva). As a hospital, it has 1500 beds and deals with geriatrics, care and psychiatry. For the department of Isere (1.16m people) it supplies 80% of the medical care, 60% of surgery and 55% of gynecology and obstetrics.
The Deaf health care and accessibility unit (Unité Rhône-Alpes d'accueil et de soins des Sourds - Langue des signes) provides medical consultations by general practitioners able to use sign language and supports all services in the hospital (e.g. with interpreters).  It promotes accessibility to health care for deaf people in the Rhône-Alpes region (population 8 million). It is also inked in a national network of 12 deaf health care hospital units exist in France with 7000 deaf patients having used these units in 2007, number increasing each year.

IVèS is a privately owned SME.  Its primary business is to design, develop and operate video value added services.  For this purpose, IVèS develops and maintains a Total Conversation platform based on a mix of server side Open Source software including  OpenSER and Asterisk and eConf technology on the client side.
IVèS services are using a hybrid approach, merging Web 2.0 technology with SIP video telephony.  These service are written in PHP, VXML and Asterisk dialplan (AEL) on top of a PHP framework that exposes functions provided by our common infrastructure.  These functions range from user identification, service billing to call routing and gateway usage.  Each  service runs in a "service container" that enables the service to maintain its own logic and database and brings scalability as it is possible to run several instances of the same container in more than one server while sharing the same service database.  The software is operated on a infrastructure of two redundant pairs of server.  Two SIP router / service nodes and two Service Data Point platforms. Those are hosted separately and connected to distinct provider in order to increase availability.

In France Telecom Group, the accessibility policy has an extensive reach:  the distribution facility  with 4,800 sales personnel trained to handle the needs of disabled people, 9 regional Accessibility representatives, 151 "handicap solutions" stores, a dedicated website, a special freephone number and specific communications material. The "design for all" approach, is integrated into product design from the very early stages.
The Group's Accessibility Department identifies the achievements made within the company in favour of disabled employees, with a target of autism and visual and hearing disabilities.

WebSourd is a privately held SME, but although WebSourd is a commercial organization, it was created with a specific status of a SCIC (Société cooperative d'intérêt collectif : Cooperative Company of Collective Interest).  Thanks to this status, WebSourd is a "cooperative" organization dedicated to develop public interest services and acting as a "non profit" organization towards its stakeholders.  This public interest mission is also reinforced through a specific label given by the French government: "agrément d'entreprise solidaire".
Its primary business is to design, develop and operate accessibility services and products for deaf and hard of hearing people.  WebSourd has both a social and linguistic vocation.  Using an original visual and graphical identity, it has developed the very first French bilingual media of information (French Sign Language and written French) through an interactive website, produced by and for deaf people and a proactive production business of web content in order to bring together deaf people and their environment,

SIS Spain is a division of Siemens S.A, the Spanish branch of Siemens AG. SIS Spain offers its information technology solutions and services to customers in a wide range of industries, including Emergency Management solutions, from consulting and design up to the installation of the system, to operation and maintenance. Its Emergency Management Competence Center is currently staffed with over 50 highly qualified and experienced professionals. For Siemens in general and SIS in particular, R+D+i is an essential part of its business.

Vodafone Spain is part of the Vodafone Group, the world's leading mobile communications company, with a presence in 25 countries and partner networks in a further 41 countries, spanning the five continents.  Vodafone offers a full range of mobile telecommunication services, including voice and data communications and currently serves over 252 million proportionate customers worldwide.  Vodafone Spain has more than 15.810 million customers that benefit from the experience and scope of a World leading company helping individuals, businesses and communities to be more connected in a mobile world.  In Vodafone Spain, we are committed to improving the range of services we offer, and making those services easier to use for people with disabilities and the elderly.  Vodafone Spain collaborates with CNSE and FIAPAS (Spanish Associations for the deaf and hard of hearing), and develop solutions for this target group with Blackberry for Hearing Impaired and a device which enables comfortable communication between a cellular phone and a T-coil equipped hearing aid or cochlear implant.

Servicios de Telemarketing S.A (Sertel) is a company specialized in contact centre services, customer support and management, providing services through voice and text calls, SMS, Web, email and FAX. As a part of the Fundosa Group and the ONCE Foundation, the company has also social responsibilities, as from a workforce of 1.750 people more than a 25 % are people with disabilities, and their facilities and services are fully accessibility enabled. SERTEL currently manages the 112 Emergency Service of the Cantabria Region. In the past, Sertel has also managed several 112 services, such as the 112 Emergency Service of the Valencia Region.

Nokia is #1 mobile device manufacturer. The total sales in year 2007 €51billion (including Nokia Siemens Networks). Nokia has developed a real time text application for E61i device. It can be transported to other devices based on S60 platforms. Nokia devices comprise a large number of accessibility features facilitating their use by disabled persons. The company has significant R&D resources and it is engaged in the development of next generation mobile IP-based platforms such as LTE and Wimax.  These platforms enable the implementation of total conversation services comprising voice, text and video components.  Nokia and Nokia Siemens Networks are involved in creating standards (IETF, 3GPP) for emergency access with a view to global interoperability

EENA, the European Emergency Number Association, was set up in 1999 as a non-profit association registered in Belgium to serve as a neutral discussion platform for emergency services, industry and informed citizens with the aim of getting efficient, interoperable and harmonised emergency telecommunications in accordance with citizens' requirements. EENA has been advocating to authorities the issues related to the 112 as there are more and more EU citizens travelling for business or leisure. EENA is also promoting the establishment of a general, pan-European, multilingual, simplified and efficient system for alerting citizens about imminent or developing emergencies.

e-ISOTIS is a non-profit making organization that aims to support People with Disabilities to overcome the existing barriers and to experience an Information Society Open to ImpairmentS (ISOTIS).  E-ISOTIS has been involved in European market studies to address and assess e-Accessibility penetration in private, public and telecommunication areas.  These include Eu@INCLUSION, MEAC-Measuring e-Accessibility  and Mandate 376- European Accessibility Requirements for Public Procurement of Products and Services in the ICT Domain.  e-ISOTIS due to its large European network of players in e-Accessibility area leads the dissemination activities of all the European initiatives it is involved. E.g. ASK-IT (www.ask-it.org )project, one of the largest ICT projects for people with disabilities and especially hearing and speech impaired people to advance their mobility through mobile phones within Europe (in 7 European Cities). Also e-ISOTIS designs and implements innovative training services for professionals, trainers (train the trainer), end users and recently implements an e-learning framework under the LEARN-IT-EASY accessible web portal especially for sensory impairments. Furthermore, e-ISOTIS due to its expertise in legal aspects, is member or leads the ethical committees of the European Projects (ASK-IT, EMERGE, ENABLE, T-Seniority, EU4ALL) in order to ensure the respect of ethical norms according to theEU and national legislations.

SOS Alarm (by appointment of the Swedish Government) is responsible for receiving all emergency telephone calls in Sweden(112 - emergency calls).  SOS Alarm is a public service enterprise that is owned by the government, the county councils and the municipalities and since 1995, all work is undertaken under contract at an agreed price and in competition within the open market.  The company is certified according to ISO 9000.

Since 1998 AXEGA is the Agency that manages the 112 in the Galicia Autonomous Region through the 112 Galicia PSAP. In the 112 Galicia they also coordinate the resources needed for responding to emergencies. Since 1998 the calls received in the 112 in Galicia have grown from 452.116 until the current 2.101.085 in the 2007 year. 112 Galicia is a public service of the Galicia Regional Government (Xunta de Galicia) through the Regional Ministry of the President, Public Administration and Justice, and directly depending of the General Directorate of the Civil protection. The obtained a Quality certification in October 2003, which they have maintained since, and this guarantees an excellent management of the service.

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