Note This law applies to U.S. customers only. Customers should rely on appropriate legal counsel and outside auditors for interpretation of the act’s requirements. Suggestions in this document are not to be construed as a substitute for legal advice or a definitive list of all possible legal considerations.
In response to concerns that emerging technologies such as digital and wireless communications are increasing the difficulty for law enforcement agencies to execute authorized surveillance, Congress enacted the Communication Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) in 1994. CALEA is intended to preserve the ability of law enforcement agencies to conduct electronic surveillance by requiring that telecommunications carriers and manufacturers of telecommunications equipment modify and design their equipment, facilities, and services to ensure that the systems support the necessary surveillance capabilities of law enforcement agencies.
In an order effective September 23, 2005, the FCC concluded that CALEA applies to facilities-based broadband Internet access providers and interconnected VoIP service providers. To the extent that CALEA applies to Avaya offerings, such offerings have achieved compliance with the applicable CALEA requirements. In the event that an Avaya customer is subject to CALEA requirements, there are various third-party products, including Session Border Controller products, that claim to provide or facilitate CALEA compliance.
NexTone
AcmePacket
Sipera
- Messaging use of standard architectures. For example:
Messaging uses Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) standards for network communications. Therefore, transmissions are interceptable for surveillance tools established to work with the OSI standards.
Messaging telephone calls are always divided into call control signaling and voice or bearer signaling. This simplifies the task of determining what data to surveil.
Messaging assurance of the authenticity and integrity of the calls being surveilled through its encryption and authentication capabilities.
Call Detail Records, which records called numbers, and other call data that might be useful to law enforcement.
Finally, Messaging offers the service observing feature, which allows monitoring of calls with or without awareness of the parties on the call.