E911 Hosted Solutions Featured Article

The emergency response system in this country was established to provide services in the event of an emergency situation. The more rapidly first responders can find the affected individuals and address the situation, the more likely lives are to be saved. With the increased use of mobile phones and multi-location, emergency response needs to be enhanced. When it can be offered in the cloud through E911 hosted solutions, accurate information is captured whenever necessary.

E911 hosted solutions are really all about the right location. If emergency responders don’t know how to find a person in need, it’s difficult for them to provide assistance. In such a situation – who is responsible for the accuracy of the location information? A recent 911 ETC (News - Alert) white paper explores the topic and how its solutions can help.

When the individual calls from a residence using a landline, the telephone company is tasked with providing accurate information attached to that line. If the call is placed at an organization’s location from behind the PBX (News - Alert), proper information responsibility is placed on the organization. A plan must be in place to provide the right information, regardless of the location of the PBX.

When organizations moved to IP telephony, the problem only increased. Now, calls were identified by their IP address instead of physical location. An employee using a VPN could give the appearance that they were working in the office when they were in fact at home or in a hotel room halfway around the world. Companies with multiple locations may not have calls routed to the correct PSAP, which puts people at risk. With E911 hosted solutions, all of these issues can be addressed.

Aside from the matter of public safety, there are some cases where proper identification is the law. Some states have already taken action to hold organizations and companies responsible for ensuring accurate location information on E911 calls. By 2012, 18 states had enacted legislation in some form to require the implementation of E911 capability and NENA has proposed model legislation for MLTS that dictates what information needs to be available for organizations of more than 7,000 square feet.

To address these issues, companies like 911 ETC offer E911 hosted solutions that allow organizations to avoid a costly rip and replace and instead leverage solutions housed within their existing platform. As a fully managed service, E911 hosted solutions can analyze and provide best practices to ensure the proper steps are taken. 911 ETC can also provide assistance with on-site audits, collaborate with telcos and provide consistent service, updates and support.

While a number of providers offer companies an alternative to traditional 911, E911 hosted solutions streamline the process and keep costs at a minimum. Given the ease, it just may be worth the time to consider.

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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