The Evolution of E911 and Protecting the Remote Workforce – Telecom Reseller

Al Castle

by Al Castle, Vice President, Product Development for Flowroute, now part of Intrado

The remote workforce has been a growing trend for the last decade; however, as external market factors and internal employee preferences change, the number of people working outside of traditional office settings have skyrocketed at an unprecedented rate.

As a new presence of distributed enterprises emerge, business IT decision makers and UC buyers have an opportunity to enhance their IT investments through adoption of VoIP and other cloud-based tools to ensure smooth operations across a distributed workforce.

VoIP and cloud-based tools are beneficial to businesses as they help facilitate agile connection and can be scaled as needs changes. These tools also support innovation and can improve existing service offerings; however, in this age of remote workers and increased mobility, most phone numbers are no longer tied to physical addresses.

Unlike landline phone numbers, which are literally wired to locations, VoIP phone numbers are more nomadic. Through VoIP, calls can be placed anywhere with an internet connection and as a result could come from an IP address associated with a call server located miles away from the call origin. This has created some challenges for first responders and dispatch operators. If an emergency occurs, it can be difficult for 911 operators and the network to know where to send the call and more importantly, where to send first responders.

Luckily, Enhanced 911 (E911) capabilities help mitigate these concerns for VoIP adopters and simplify how communication services providers (CSPs) automate phone number configuration and management. E911 deployed through telecom APIs automatically identifies the location of the VoIP phone number by providing a real-time address that can be validated and provisioned. This means that the physical address connected to a VoIP phone is accurate and will be dispatched to the local Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP).

E911 has evolved as telecom technology improves. As the industry innovates, CSPs and modern telco carriers are working hard to ensure they comply with the latest regulations to keep their customers and employees safe. One customer group leveraging the evolution of E911 are the enterprises and small and medium businesses embracing a new distributed and remote structure of work.

Measures are in place to ensure this security. For example, the FCC requires VoIP providers that integrate with the PSTN provide E911 to its customers. In addition, regulations such as Karis Law and Section 506 of RAY BAUMs Act are supporting protection efforts by ensuring enterprises and CSPs partner deliver alert notifications to a central location whenever a 911 call is made within the enterprise, and provide a dispatchable location with a 911 call to the appropriate Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). CSPs and carriers are also working with leading technology providers to integrate E911 support into popular collaboration tools. The combination of these efforts and tech innovations are delivering quicker, more accurate response times.

When evaluating how to support the remote workforce with E911, it is critical for businesses to understand how their employees are placing calls (e.g. from their personal mobile or through a company issued phone or server) and how their CSPs and careers are supporting emergency situations. Under E911 offerings, businesses and providers have the flexibility to manage emergency call capabilities directly from the interface where they manage all their phone lines, without having to invest in added hardware or tools.

If remote employees are using their personal cell phones while working, it can be difficult for enterprises to manage their location and provide support in the case of an emergency. Depending on the organization size and emergency procedures in place, it is a best practice to remind employees to update the emergency location associated with their cell phones, as well as verify device usage to determine if the employee is using a corporate phone or placing calls with a phone number associated with their workplaces physical address.

Enterprises that have employees using corporate VoIP devices and phone numbers should partner with their carriers and CSPs to take the proper steps to ensure their employees remote working locations are appropriately associated with the right 911 operator and PSAP location.

As the landscape of the workforce continues to shift to a distributed global setting, protecting employees remains a top priority. Leveraging VoIP communications and properly deploying E911 services can make the difference in emergency planning and response. With the help of innovative CSPs and carriers, enterprises can make sure their emergency tools are durable and can protect their employees regardless of their location.

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The Evolution of E911 and Protecting the Remote Workforce - Telecom Reseller