MicroAutomation Develops Advanced Network, Improving SUICIDE Hotline Services

MicroAutomation, a Virginia-based provider of call center technologies and solutions, today announced the successful deployment of an advanced call routing network for the National Hopeline Network: 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2533) that will allow the Hotline to receive more calls and deliver faster service. This new network, deployed on both the U.S. east and west coasts, reliably routes incoming calls to the nearest crisis center, many of which are the local 2-1-1 provider, ensuring that callers are connected to crisis professionals as quickly as possible.

"The Kristin Brooks Hope Center (program manager for the National Hopeline Network) was experiencing a significant technological challenge," said Michael O'Keefe, director of marketing and sales for MicroAutomation.

"We designed a new architecture that quickly and securely solved their call routing problems. As a result, the Network is now able to offer a higher level quality of service to its callers in need." O'Keefe estimates the Network will now be able to handle over 300,000 (an additional 50,000) calls annually, based on the first phase of the project.

The system MicroAutomation developed for the hotline is an advanced call routing and call management tool based on the company's award-winning CallCenter Millennium CTI product. By utilizing standards-based building blocks from Intel, including the Intel NetMerge Media Communications Carrier Software and CallCenter Millennium, the solution provides dependable call routing capabilities, and allows for rapid system expansion.

Additionally, the new system works seamlessly within (co-located) a long distance telephone network, resulting in greater efficiency.

"It is crucial for our network to enable callers to 9-1-1, 2-1-1 and other points of entry to be transferred into a crisis center immediately and get the support they are seeking," explained H. Reese Butler II, president and founder of the Kristin Brooks Hope Center. "MicroAutomation and its partners took the time to understand the importance of the project and the scope of the network's needs and then found the best solution for us," he noted. "By building this system on open, standard-based building blocks from Intel, MicroAutomation is providing system owners like the National Hopeline Network with communications technology that affords modularity and flexibility, thereby reducing their costs and improving business agility" said Timothy A. Moynihan, Director of Product Marketing for the Intel Network Building Block Division.

Currently, the new system connects 100 crisis centers across the U.S. Approximately 200 additional centers will be integrated into the network by the end of 2004. In addition, this system will be leveraged by several states to support their 211-phone service (this service will help direct caller with social issues to resources that can provide assistance).

MicroAutomation is a privately held company based in Manassas, Va. The company is a leading provider of Customer Contact Solutions including Computer Telephony Integration (CTI); Multimedia Contact Management; Integrated Voice Response (IVR); Speech Recognition; Text-to-Speech; Web Integration; Dynamic Message Distribution; and Consolidated Management Reporting. MicroAutomation offers its award-winning CallCenter Millennium products along with requirements consulting, a complete solution design and systems integration and implementation services. Additional information is available at www.microaut.com.

Information about the National Hopeline Network can be found at www.hopeline.com.