Email2Phone usages in Schools
Summary
Application: Quickly notify or alert all or a group of staff members in unique or extraordinary circumstances
Challenge: School’s Head Master requires a means over and above ordinary communications to promptly notify twenty-six staff members mostly after hours, on weekends or when weather conditions cause delays or cancellations.
Methodology: Automate the call list to get phone messages to the staff by sending one email. Set up calls to go to all staff or group I or group II using Email2Phone filters. Educate the Assistant Headmaster and his secretary to also be able to utilize the features of email2phone.net to contact staff.
Result: Headmaster Wilson is prepared to notify all or various staff members at anytime when unusual or abnormal situations dictate.
How it Works
Email2Phone is a versatile tool used for a wide variety of applications. It works by using computer software and modern speech technology to convert ordinary text emails into phone voice messages and deliver them to any phone or phones, anywhere. It also provides the user with the capability to dial-in and listen to their email voice messages and to access messages and configure their account online via computer.
When the application requires that an Email2Phone user be able to contact multiple phones, Email2Phone can be configured to call all or a select group of participants. By using the Email2Phone filters, various groups or subgroups can be identified to receive email voice messages based on keywords in the subject or content of the email. A new time saving feature recently introduced by email2phone.net is the ‘Authorized Account’ which allows the user when entering multiple phone numbers to bypass the normal Email2Phone phone number verification process.
Case Study Subject
Headmaster Wilson does not have the luxury or budget to invest in sophisticated telephone systems, yet he requires the capability to quickly ‘connect’ with as many as twenty-six members of the school’s staff when a situation arises. In his absence his secretary or the assistant headmaster must also be able to handle abnormal situations when they occur. Email2Phone allows Headmaster Wilson to prepare contingency plans for a wide variety of anticipated and unanticipated occurrences.
Using Email2Phone
In order to provide a degree of flexibility, the school’s Email2Phone was set up to notify the school’s staff as a whole group or just the teachers and academic staff or just the maintenance and support staff. A unique key relating to each specific group appears in the subject of the email. This key then determined which group was to receive the email voice message. In the case where some of the staff had both land line and cellular phones, Email2Phone was set up to call both phones. If phones went unanswered, depending up the preference, Email2Phone would either continue calling the number until answered or leave a message if the phones were voicemail enabled. The quaint rural setting of the school made it somewhat vulnerable to unpredictable weather. Dealing with problems posed by the weather rapidly became the primary use of Email2Phone. The system proved invaluable as the school encountered several closures and delays over the course of the winter.
Email2Phone Benefits
Headmaster Wilson points out that the very modest $10 per month basic service charge is an extremely small investment for all of the capability that Email2Phone provides. Even if it were never used, it would be worthwhile to have it as a backup for extraordinary situations. Knowing that he can reliably contact all or a specific group of staff members during off-school hours or on weekends by sending one email is an important benefit. He also liked the fact that once the phone numbers are set up in the account, there is no maintenance required except for adding or deleting staff phone numbers when necessary.