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i-911™ Safety Response Centers Verify Caller Location of Internet Phone Service Users

Austin, TX (PRWEB) September 6, 2005 -- HBF Group, Inc., North America’s E9-1-1 technology leader, today confirmed that its i-911 Safety Response Centers, deployed with Vonage Canada, meets the requirements of the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) mandate for emergency response systems for Voice over IP (VoIP) providers.

HBF’s i-911 VoIP solution processes emergency calls for customers of Vonage Canada, the country’s leading Internet telephone service, by routing all 9-1-1 calls directly to the i-911 Safety Response Centers. All calls are answered by a live operator who verifies the caller’s location and routes the call to the correct Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) while staying on the phone with the caller to confirm that help is received.

The i-911 Safety Response Centers, which are located throughout Canada and the United States, are staffed around the clock, seven days a week and support multiple languages. All 9-1-1 calls from subscribers will go directly to a live Safety Response Center operator. This is particularly important for travelers, students and nomadic Vonage subscribers who can essentially take their Vonage VoIP adapter with them on a business trip or to a university or any temporary move and connect to a high-speed connection. Even if subscribers have not updated their current location information, a Safety Response Centre operator will verify the person’s location.

“Providing Vonage Canada customers with safe and reliable 9-1-1 service is critical.” said Bill Rainey, President of Vonage Canada. “HBF’s i-911 Safety Response Centers give us a robust solution that will provide our subscribers, no matter where they are, with reassurance that they will receive help in an emergency.”

HBF is active in several industry associations in Canada and the United States to help set standards and drive technology for the future of 9-1-1 service, including the CRTC’s Interconnection Steering Committee (CISC), National Emergency Number Association (NENA), The Emergency Services Interconnection Forum (ATIS/ESIF) and Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO). HBF is partnering with NENA on its Next Generation E9-1-1 Program which is focused on upgrading North America’s 9-1-1 systems by implementing “next generation” technologies, procedures and best practices.

“HBF is pleased to combine our technical expertise with that of a recognized leader like Vonage.” said Jim Shepard, Executive Vice President at HBF. “Our i-911 solution will be able to grow with Vonage Canada as their business expands and VoIP 9-1-1 standards and regulations progress. Addition of the Safety Response Center provides an extra measure of security for nomadic subscribers.”

About HBF
HBF Group, Inc. is the 9-1-1 technology leader providing cutting edge solutions to the 9-1-1 industry. HBF deployed the first state-wide 9-1-1 deployment in the United States as well as the first province-wide deployment in Canada. HBF offers a full line of wireline, wireless, and VoIP 9-1-1 products and services. For more information on HBF, visit www.hbfgroup.com or call 512.481.0911.

About Vonage® Canada
Vonage Canada is an early pioneer of the Canadian broadband phone industry, setting the standard for pricing, features, call quality and reliability for the entire VoIP category. Vonage's award winning service is sold on the web at www.vonage.ca and through national retailers like Best Buy, Future Shop, London Drugs, The Source by Circuit City, Staples Business Depot/ BUREAU EN GROS. Vonage Canada is headquartered in Mississauga, ON. For more information about Vonage's products and services, please visit www.vonage.ca or call 1-877-272-0528. Vonage Canada is a subsidiary of Vonage Holdings Corp. Vonage is a registered trademark of Vonage Marketing.

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Source :  http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/9/prweb279925.htm