Lightpath, which provides Ethernet-based communication solutions for New York metropolitan area businesses via channel partners, has announced new functionality to help mid-market and large businesses communicate more efficiently during emergencies.
The newest features include a more robust self-service portal for soft switch-based enterprise voice and Internet voice bundle, and automated communications services for Lightpath hosted voice.
Customers now have access to the PBX CommPortal, which offers self-service functionality for account changes that used to require a call to Lightpath. The portal supports easy management of PBX-based phone services. This includes configuring immediate call forwarding or unavailable call forwarding to direct calls to an alternative number. Customers can make changes via any Web-enabled device, such as tablets and smartphones. Use cases include remotely changing how calls are routed when employees are unable to physically be in an office.
“During crises like extreme weather events, the ability to communicate quickly and easily is of the utmost importance for businesses,” said Julia McGrath, senior vice president of marketing and business development at Lightpath. “The voice-based features that Lightpath is introducing today gives our customers more control and flexibility when it’s needed most.”
Lightpath Hosted Voice customers can now upgrade to add mass announce and firebar capabilities to their service. Mass announce makes it easy to create and send a pre-recorded message to a large number of contacts for communication around events like delayed office openings or emergency closings. Calls are automatically placed to contacts on a predefined list with the ability to make repeat calls at certain times throughout the day until the recipient is reached.
Firebar gives organizations the ability to quickly and automatically establish an emergency audio conference with a group, such as a designated crisis team. A group call is initiated when one person dials a firebar number that initiates simultaneous outgoing calls to a preconfigured team list. Once the call recipient is reached and their identity confirmed, they are automatically placed into the conference call.
