 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
  |
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the Connect-CTY® notification service work?
The Connect-CTY service combines the power of the Internet with the pervasiveness of the telephone to give civic leaders an affordable and easy-to-use tool to reach out to their communities. Users record a voice message in their own voice using just a telephone or type a message to be sent to text receiving devices. In all, the multi-modal service helps officials reach out to residents and department heads via:
How many calls have been sent through the Connect-CTY service?
NTI is currently sending 20-25 million time-sensitive calls per month solely on behalf of government entities and schools via its Connect family of services which include:
How many municipalities are using the service?
Over 17,000 sites nationwide are using one of NTI’s Connect services to reach 9 million recipients.
What is multi-modal communication?
With the Connect-CTY service, emergency officials can reach their community members in their own voice (at landlines, cell phones, and via e-mail) and via text messages (at cell phones, PDAs/other text-receiving devices, e-mail accounts, and TTY/TDD receiving devices for the hearing impaired).
During a time-sensitive situation, multi-modal communication is critical. It is the most comprehensive way to reach people in the environment they may be in at the moment an issue arises. Communication is sent simultaneously to all available contact points for each person.
Relying on any single way to reach constituents (whether it is through just voice calls or just SMS) introduces a single point of failure. Additionally, text messages to cell phones, while a great back-up communication medium, is not stable enough to rely upon solely for time-sensitive communication. Cellular carriers did not design SMS (Short Messaging Service) as a reliable medium for transmitting high volume, time-sensitive communication within geo-centric communities (such as a school campus or district). As with any communication vehicle, it is important to combine voice, text-messaging, and e-mail to better ensure that you can reach your community in as many ways possible.
How much does the Connect-CTY system cost?
The service is based on a flat fee or per-address rate that varies slightly from city to city depending upon the planned use (e.g., emergency only versus comprehensive). NTI does not quote rates for individual clients. Please check with the municipality for additional information.
How has the Connect-CTY system been used?
The Connect-CTY system has been used to communicate vital information when a critical situation has taken place. Additionally, some cities, towns and counties use the service for more routine communication, including community outreach and to notify residents of water main breaks and/or changes in trash pick-up schedules.
What if an emergency occurs and the municipality can't access the Internet to send a message?
Each user is given a personal, wallet-sized Emergency Messaging card. In case of an evacuation or power loss, village administrators can use the information on this card to send a time-sensitive notification to all their contacts or to a pre-determined emergency response team using just a telephone. NTI maintains client care representatives to assist users 24/7/365 should alternative means be necessary such as encountered throughout both Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Wilma.
Does the Connect-CTY service require any additional equipment?
No. The only thing needed is an Internet connection, a browser that meets or exceeds Internet Explorer 5.5 or Netscape 7.0, and a telephone. Municipalities don't have to buy or maintain any special equipment, have special phone lines installed, or install any software applications or plug-ins. NTI provides training, which typically takes less than 30 minutes, a detailed step-by-step user guide for reference, and uses industry-standard file types to interface with village data systems so they will be able to get up-and-running immediately.
How does the Connect-CTY system get access to residents’ and businesses’ contact information?
NTI provides an encrypted, online process to securely import a village’s existing data into that village’s account in a secure and reliable manner. The village maintains all data. They have full ownership over that data. NTI also provides a system that allows cities to schedule automatic updates as frequently as they like, and/or they can add, remove, and delete individual contacts at their convenience.
Additionally, citizens are encouraged to ensure that their contact information is up-to-date so that the village can contact them should an issue occur.
Does NTI share the municipality’s information with anyone?
No. NTI does not sell, lease, share, or rent personally identifiable information (names, addresses, phone numbers, etc.) to any companies or persons outside of NTI or NTI service providers.
How long has NTI provided this service?
NTI’s first client sent its first Connect-ED for K-12 communication in early 2001 under the PACE brand. The Connect-CTY service was later introduced upon request of cities who were effectively seeing their school districts dramatically improve communication in their communities. Since its first message, NTI has delivered hundreds of millions of messages on behalf of schools and public officials.
How can the Connect-CTY service reach thousands in minutes?
The NTI Group, Inc’s (NTI) mass notification engine supports the Connect-CTY system. NTI maintains access to tens of thousands of phone lines originating from multiple locations throughout the United States to ensure that its clients' communications are delivered quickly and efficiently. Moreover, NTI employs sophisticated call throttling logic to identify the proper schematics needed to deliver calls based upon whatever congestion the local telecommunications providers are experiencing at the moment calls are being attempted. This is a crucial point of differentiation versus both auto-dialers and other ASP/Software as a Service competitors who lack experience delivering time-based mass notifications.
What is NTI?
The NTI Group, Inc. (NTI) is a privately held company located in Sherman Oaks, CA that provides comprehensive communication services designed specifically for local, regional, State, and Federal government entities that enable rapid dissemination of critical information via voice and text devices.
NTI owns and distributes the Connect-ED®, Connect-CTY®, Connect-GOV®, and Connect-MIL® family of notification services for use by schools, municipalities, government agencies, and military institutions. NTI designs systems specifically for each vertical serviced to ensure quick adoption by end-users. NTI services are developed with the assistance of end-users within each vertical and are regularly upgraded based upon requests made by a panel of industry-specific users and non-users to ensure that we are providing the best services possible.
Who do I contact for more information about NTI?
The NTI media relations team is prepared to provide additional information. Please call our Media Hotline at (818) 808-1789 or email us at press@ntigroup.com.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|