Specific examples in retail, healthcare, and an ISP will be highlighted. The presentation will provide insight into how the public Internet successfully served first responders such as the Police and Fire Departments as well as businesses and residents. The Internet provided the lifeline for tracking relatives, locating dispersed employees, submitting emergency claims to FEMA, and publicizing much-needed weather and recovery details with 100 broadcast stations initially off the air. Recent actions and proposals by the FCC and Department of Homeland Security will be shared. An assessment and vendor-neutral recommendation will be provided along with resources and references.

About the Presenter
Paula Rhea is a Senior Consultant in MPLS and IP-VPN networking and product management for Verizon Business. She has over 15 years experience in wide area networking and large-scale network and system migrations, with positions and pre- and post-sales product development for Sprint and Hewlett-Packard. Paula's current professional interests include convergence, network-based security, and service level management and agreements. She is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). Paula holds a BBA from Texas Tech University and an MBA from Northwestern University.