HSL's messaging went through the roof as a client sent almost 300,000 text messages in one day due to the disruption caused by the snow. They provide messaging services to schools around the UK and found SMS was tightly embraced as schools tried to desperately contact parents.
An article in the Guardian states that snow at the end of January resulted in hundreds of school closures particularly in the Midlands and reeked havok on transport systems with road closures, rail disruptions and flight cancellations. Goole Courier states another huge issue is the uncertainty that severe weather can create amongst parents and teachers over whether or not schools are to remain open. Stephen Clarke, Managing Director, Contact Group, states: “With the increasing frequency of severe weather in Britain, it’s particularly important that schools have a reliable communications system to keep parents informed. During this week’s heavy snow our Call Parents automated notification system has played a major role in reducing inconvenience caused by school closures by informing parents quickly about the current situation.”
SMS has established itself as an effective and reliable method of contacting a large group of people instantly and also gives great peace of mind as schools can rest assured parents will see the text and read it quickly. This saves parents an enormous amount of stress and worry and enables them to make appropriate child care arrangements if necessary. For the school, they are able to vastly reduce the number of inbound calls from parents and no longer need to try and contact every parent to inform them of school closures or email the parents and hope they log in and check their emails in time.
Text messaging can also be used by schools and companies around the world to quickly inform their staff if the office is closed. This is not just a helpful service, it is an employer's obligation to ensure staff are not traveling unnecessarily to work in dangerous conditions. Stephen Thomas, Croner’s Health and Safety expert, says: “Employers should have clear terms in their contracts to ensure there is maximum flexibility when bad weather happens. It’s a particular problem for people who live in rural areas and it is the responsibility of their employer to ensure they are taking precautions against dangerous commutes."
HSL's technical team work hard to ensure our messaging has a 99.99% availability. We offer high reliability to ensure our customers receive the very best service and assign dedicated account managers to ensure they can speak to someone directly regarding any questions and concerns they may have. We have been delivering messaging services across the globe since 1999 and creating hundreds of happy, contented companies.
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