WINLINK 2000:
Winlink 2000 is a worldwide radio messaging system that takes advantage of the Internet where possible. Currently, there are more than 15,000 radio users on all the classes of users and approximately 100,000 Internet recipients. Monthly traffic averages over 150,000 messages.  Pactor 1, 2 and 3 protocols are used on HF, and AX.25 Packet, D-Star and 802.11 are used on VHF/UHF. Most recently there has been an increasing interest in emergency communications, and the Winlink 2000 development team has responded by adding features and functions that make the system more reliable, flexible and redundant. The role of Winlink 2000 in emergency communications is to supplement existing methodologies to add another tool in the toolkit of the volunteer services deploying emergency communications in their communities.   Winlink 2000 has been assisting the maritime community, NOAA, the United Nations, the US. Coast Guard and other agencies for over 6 years now. Only recently has it been brought to the attention of the greater emergency communications community due to recent domestic disasters.

Several years ago, the Department of Homeland Security suggested to the ARRL president that the Amateur community should design and maintain a national digital network for emergency communications purposes. Winlink 2000 was their network of choice. Today, the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency ServiceŽ (ARES) and Radio amateur civil emergency service (RACES) has been busy deploying Winlink 2000 county by county across the country . In addition other non-Amateur volunteer services such as the Army Military Affiliate Radio System and the UK Cadet Forces, the Salvation Army, the GA Baptist Relief organization, and many other such agencies have utilized Winlink 2000 for their radio e-mail, both in emergencies and when no other communications outlets have been available . These most recent activities resulted from the use of Winlink 2000 during the most recent domestic hurricane disasters.

For emergency services, like any other communications system, the effectiveness of Winlink 2000 is only as good as those who have planned for its use. One of the most valuable lessons learned from the Hurricane Katrina disaster has been the ability of those deploying the system for their own communities to build continual relationships with the agencies they wish to serve. After all, it is their "customer" who Winlink 2000 serves, and volunteers using this digital radio messaging system must bring its capabilities to those who need them before the system can be effective.