West Corp. announced the company has acquired 911 Enable (News - Alert) emergency communications solutions for IP-based enterprise customers from Connexon Group, Inc. West has incorporated 911 Enable into the company’s Intrado (News - Alert) operations.

“911 Enable provides an excellent complement to our VoIP services,” said Mary Hester, president, Intrado. “The rapid growth and complexity of IP-based technology creates unique challenges for the delivery of Enhanced 911. Working together, we can closely integrate and expand our solutions for the enterprise market.”

The ability to access emergency services by dialing 911 is an often-cited concern for VoIP users. Since VoIP service works differently from traditional phone service, consumers who use it should be aware that VoIP 911 service may also work differently from traditional 911 service, according to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC (News - Alert)).

FCC requires VoIP providers to meet Enhanced 911 (E911) obligations. E911 systems automatically provide to emergency service personnel a 911 caller’s call back number and, in most cases, location information.

According to West, the acquisition will enable the company to meet a wider variety of communications needs for enterprise customers, particularly in business, government, education and nonprofit organizations. 911 Enable provides emergency communications solutions for IP-based enterprise customers across the United States and Canada.

“We are thrilled to be a part of the Intrado team,” said Lev Deich, managing director for 911 Enable. “This combination allows us to further extend our vision of public safety solutions for the enterprise customer, and we are both fully committed to enhancing the quality of 911 service.”

West helps manage or support enterprise communications with services that include conferencing and collaboration, public safety services, IP communications, interactive services such as automated notifications, large-scale agent services and telecom services. Intrado is a subsidiary of West and focuses on supporting the needs of public safety organizations.