Control Rooms - Enghouse Interactive

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Built for Utility and Critical Infrastructure Operations

Enghouse CICS connects people and systems across utility control rooms and critical infrastructure operations, ensuring fast, reliable, and secure communication when it matters most.

It supports:

Electric transmission and distribution networks
Generation facilities
Water and wastewater plants
Pipeline operators

Purpose-built for mission-critical environments, Enghouse CICS enables rapid incident conferencing, outage coordination, and secure, compliant communications that keep essential services running.

Why Choose Enghouse CICS

Operator-Centric Interface

Touchscreen workflows and color-coded priorities reduce training time and improve operator focus during high-volume events, giving control room teams intuitive software designed for mission-critical communication.

Efficient Call Management and Playback

Advanced call management features accelerate collaboration across your emergency communication system. Operators in utility control rooms can handle any inbound and outbound call, or only have specific calls routed to them. They can playback any call, view call history, manage voicemails, and respond promptly to emergencies via color-coded call indicators, ensuring rapid coordination during incidents.

Geo-Redundant & Auto-Failover Resilience

Maintain continuity with multiple data centers and automated failover. This critical communications infrastructure ensures all calls and recordings persist during outages or network disruptions.

NERC CIP–Aligned Recording & Audit Trails

Enghouse CICS supports compliance programs for utilities that require NERC compliant substation communication. Secure call logging, change tracking, and evidence retention that help address CIP-007, CIP-008, CIP-010, and CIP-011 requirements.

Scheduled & Ad-Hoc Conferencing

Automated dial-outs connect crews and subject matter experts instantly for storm response, grid incidents, or cyber events, delivering dependable emergency communication solutions when time is critical.

Web Directory & Role-Based Access

Ensure secure, accurate reachability with role-based access controls and an up-to-date contact directory, empowering operators with complete visibility across command center communications.

Intuitive and Easy to Use

With a touchscreen-enabled interface and easily understood alerts, Enghouse CICS is a control room solution built for focus and safety. Operators can manage alarms, view team status, and protect field crews with circuit lockout verification.

Key Features and Outcomes for Utility Control Rooms

Feature	What it does	Operational Outcome
Color-coded operator UI	Highlights priority calls and alarms	Faster triage; fewer misses during peak events
Scheduled dial-outs	Auto-calls crews/SMEs on escalation	Quicker bridge setup; shorter mean time to restore
Geo-redundant recording	Maintains logs across sites	Continuity and audit evidence for NERC CIP
Web directory & RBAC	Accurate contacts with role-based control	Secure, up-to-date reachability

Functional Checklist

Touchscreen-enabled Interface
Clear Status indications
Color-coded call indicators
Comprehensive call history

Scheduled/ ad hoc conferences
Web-based directory management
Auto failover and geo-redundant DC
Compliance with high-security standards

Core Use Cases

Grid Disturbance Response

Conference operators, dispatchers, and field crews instantly when system stability is threatened.

Outage Coordination & Crew Dispatch

Automate notifications and prioritize restoration tasks for faster service recovery.

Incident Response

Support cyber and physical incident workflows with secure recording and role-based access.

Multi-Site & Shift Handover

Maintain operational continuity and share context between control centers and shifts.

Audit & Compliance Reporting

Provide verifiable communication logs for internal reviews and regulatory audits.

Consolidate your Control Room communications

Enghouse Interactive’s Critical Infrastructure Communications System (CICS) is a scalable, flexible application built for organizations that depend on reliable control room solutions.

By consolidating advanced communication tools into one system, it enhances efficiency, reliability, and ease of use.

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FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Enghouse CICS?

A mission-critical communications system that unifies voice, conferencing, routing, recording, and reporting for utility control room operations.

How does Enghouse CICS support NERC CIP compliance?

Enghouse CICS provides secure call logging, encryption, geo-redundant recording, and auditable reports that help utilities prepare evidence for CIP-007, CIP-008, CIP-010, and CIP-011.

Can Enghouse CICS integrate with existing systems, such as CMMS (Maximo), SCADA, OMS, and WFM?

Yes, the solution is designed to be customer-specific and fully customizable to specific needs. In addition to the integrations already available to multiple applications—such as outage management systems (OMS), workforce management (WFM), network management (NMS), and SCADA environment—bespoke integration can be provided. If an organization uses an application that is not yet integrated to Enghouse CICS, this can be developed as part of the Professional Services deployment charges.

Does Enghouse CICS support mass-notification via apps such as Everbridge, AtHoc etc?

Enghouse CICS integrates with any applications that leverage open standards and offer REST APIs for integration. Utilities and other public organizations use a variety of apps for outbound/mass notification; most rely on an air-gapped comms infrastructure for better notification, delivery confirmations/acknowledgements, operational control/message authorizations, situational management, and crisis analytics.

Can Enghouse CICS scale for storms and seasonal peaks?

Yes. Cloud and hybrid deployments scale capacity rapidly for high-volume events and return to steady state efficiently.

How long does deployment take?

Timelines to deploy Enghouse CICS vary by environment (on-prem, hybrid) and integrations. Your Enghouse team will scope a plan based on your requirements and sites.

Can Enghouse CICS be customized for unique needs/requirements?

Enghouse has developed a highly flexible solution that relies on standardized processes and core functional modules, simplifying and reducing the time required to create solutions to meet each customer’s specific requirements. The Enghouse CICS interface is also structured to be easily modified to deliver the information that your operators need, in the way that suits them best. Each deployment is 100% customized to each customer’s needs, so how some capabilities are deployed—for example, whether it sits inside the CIP Electronic Security Perimeter or not—would depend on exactly what they want to do and what implementation suits them best.

Is integration with existing radio impacted by an Enghouse CICS deployment?

Existing radio integration will not be affected since it remains connected directly to the PBX.

See Enghouse CICS in action

Modern communications for mission-critical utility operations

Request a tailored walkthrough for your environment
Explore deployment options and integrations
Map outcomes to your reliability and compliance goals

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Enghouse Critical Infrastructure Communications System (CICS)

When the grid goes down, dispatchers can reach the right people in seconds