Truly understanding what works best in the 911 call center environment can boost the success of E911 hosted solutions. The problem for the enterprise PBX (News - Alert) as it becomes more fluid and mobile is that it can become more difficult to understand and implement.

Take for instance the state of New Hampshire, as featured in this Avaya (News - Alert) blog. A college campus was recently issued a letter by the Department of Safety, Division of Emergency Services and Communications. A recent 911 call made from the campus only displayed a main address for the caller to 911 dispatchers. This is not sufficient for quality E911 hosted solutions.

What this simply means, according to the Data Operations Manager for the State of New Hampshire, is that when emergency calls come in from buildings larger than 40,000 square feet there needs to be more detailed information. Is there a specific hall or floor, maybe a suite or an apartment number?

When this information is provided, the chance for connection between the emergency personnel and those who need their help is significantly increased. An E911 hosted solution reduces the liability to many departments, not to mention the lives it will save.

The challenge in optimal deployment, however, is that the solution can be deployed in many different ways. And, because every enterprise is unique, there is no one right way to deploy E911 hosted solutions.

New Hampshire is new to the list of states with E911 laws in place that hold organizations responsible and liable for ensuring accurate E911 location information. The total is now 18, yet, the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) website only confirms 17. In its quest for implementation and use, the state is exploring the current standards to understand expectations in relation to deployment.

The state of New Hampshire is requiring the accurate location be included for all 911 calls automatically, according to its state's statute RSA (News - Alert)-106:H-2, Section I. While it is unclear as to whether other states are following suit, there is the other contention that New Hampshire is breaking federal laws by implementing its own process.

Both the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) take issue with E911 hosted solutions in different ways. The ADA is pretty clear on how services are delivered to those with a handicap. They are entitled to be treated like any member of the general public. On the other side of the fence, OSHA may not incorporate E911 services based on the policy of not maintaining a hazard-free work environment for employees and guests.

As this debate continues, there are still a number of individuals who argue for the virtues of E911 hosted solutions, suggesting the details could derail much needed updates to the current system.

 Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO West 2012, taking place Oct. 2-5, in Austin, TX. ITEXPO (News - Alert) offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It's also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. For more information on registering for ITEXPO click here.

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