History

Early focus on delivering communications systems and solutions

Pacific Star Communications, Inc (PacStar), an Oregon-based corporation, was founded in 2000. PacStar’s early years focused on establishing engineering expertise, strong customer sales relationships, and a name for delivering cost-effective communications solutions. During that time, PacStar established the following:

  • Strong vendor relationships with industry-leading IT and communications product manufacturers, including Cisco, HP, Foundry/Brocade, Dell, LGS, Aruba, AT&T, and others.
  • Partner relationships with major prime contractors, including General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman, SAIC, L-3 Communications, and others.
  • Direct sales relationships to all critical sectors of the military, including the international and domestic divisions of the Army, Marines, Air Force, Navy, Joint Forces, National Guard, and Coast Guard.
  • A Government Services Administration (GSA) contract, for which PacStar routinely receives the highest performance rating.
  • Growing recognition as a highly reliable, first-call resource for effective, multi-layered communications solutions in remote, dangerous, or challenging environments at the "edge" of established communications networks. .

PacStar IQ-Core technologies provide breakthroughs for advanced, deployable communications

By 2004, PacStar recognized a need for complex communication equipment that was quick to deploy and easy to use to address mission-critical communications for the military and government. With significant input from customers, PacStar began active R&D on a breakthrough market innovation that combined sophisticated commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technologies with a single, comprehensive, management software platform. Our advanced, patented IQ-Core Software simplifies setup and management of COTS networking/communications solutions, protects the system from misconfiguration by preventing many operator errors, and reduces training and support requirements.

The software is designed with “net-centric” principles, including open/flexible APIs enabling rapid customization and support for new networking equipment and applications.

The IQ-Core Case is a modularized and ruggedized portable rack structure that consists of a fan-cooled and air-filtered housing with pull-out trays. These trays offer common monitoring, power, and network cable interconnections at the rear, and universal network connections at the front. The PacStar IQ-Core Case extends the life of electronic devices, reduces maintenance requirements, and lowers network management complexity for mobile communications systems. IQ-Core Case enables IP-based voice, data, and video products to be deployed into any infrastructure-starved environment.

These technologies provide key differentiation for PacStar products, as well as products created in strategic partnerships with other industry leaders.

PacStar deployable communications product line continues to expand

In early 2006, PacStar introduced the PacStar 5500, the flagship product in our PacStar 5000-series deployable network communications communications systems enabled by IQ-Core technology.

In 2007, we extended our product family with the PacStar 3000 mobile communications series of deployable, field-ruggedized communications nodes, beginning with the PacStar 3500, which top FEMA decision makers called the “lightest, fastest mobile communications unit we have ever seen.”

PacStar enters new era with Cisco-based Unified Communications Platform

In 2008, PacStar and Cisco announced a joint development project to create Cisco-based Unified Communications (UC) solutions to meet DoD IP-based voice requirements. This collaboration resulted in the creation of the PacStar 6800 SMEO and PacStar 6300 DVX, now DoD-certified, to deliver voice/data/video over the Defense Switched Network (DSN). These products are included on the Cisco price list and are sold through Cisco channel partners.

The completion of these solutions further expanded the breadth of IQ-Core technologies in managing a broad array of Cisco components, and launched PacStar into the large, fixed-infrastructure markets with PacStar products. PacStar subsequently adapted these technology advances to create the PacStar 4000-Series of products for initial entry teams serving DoD, special operations, and emergency response missions.

PacStar today

Using Cisco UC products with PacStar IQ-Core Software and engineering, PacStar now offers a complete line of Cisco-based DoD and commercial products for field communications as well as IT infrastructure.

PacStar operates eight sales offices covering four continents. Our Portland, Oregon, headquarters include administrative and executive offices, warehouse and production facilities, a development and integration lab, and a training center. In addition to our extensive line of off-the-shelf IQ-Core technology-based UC products, PacStar offers custom product development, utilizing our in-house expertise in systems integration and configuration, electronics and embedded systems, mechanical engineering, and software development.

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