How can Cloud Telephony Reduce and Help During Natural Disasters?
Cloud telephony can reduce natural disasters. In a world where pollution levels are rising and temperatures are rising, climate change will have more severe consequences such as frequent natural disasters.
When the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic began to cause havoc across the country, flooding was reported in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. There were also floods in Kerala. This was followed by two cyclones — Tauktae and Yaas — both of which caused massive damage across southern and eastern India. In all such situations, rescue and rehabilitation are the most urgent needs.
Cloud telephony solutions can play an important role as a medium of communication required during rescue and rehabilitation. So what is a cloud telephony system? In what ways can it prevent natural disasters? You will get to know the answers to these questions in this article.
What is a Cloud Telephony System?
It is a technology where a business telephone system is hosted in the cloud and is accessible through the internet. It offers many features like a virtual number, IVR, toll-free number, etc. It is much better for businesses these days to have a cloud telephony system than traditional PBX systems.
How Relief and Rehabilitation Efforts can be aided by Cloud Telephony?
In preparation for the devastating effects of storms, several NGOs are working around the clock. Communication technologies can be instrumental in boosting mitigation efforts and accelerating the mitigation process in such a scenario. Technology needs to be able to connect to the masses easily and be highly reliable and robust while remaining affordable and available for all. Below is the list of ways in which cloud telephony (CT) can be of help.
Fast Sharing of Information
A disaster may be imminent, so people living in the area should be alerted as soon as possible. The loss of life or property can be substantial in the event of any delay or inaccuracy. In such a situation, it is possible to track and predict cyclones, storms, impending floods, etc with a CT service.
It allows seamless communication, whether using voice broadcasting or bulk SMS. Government organizations can conveniently communicate with the masses and provide them with reliable and up-to-date information regarding the movements of cyclones and storms.
As well as serving as an early warning system, it can also be used to inform the public about relief stations and their locations as well as other packages announced by the state or federal government.
Reaching the Most Remote Areas
Considering the numerous languages spoken throughout the country, early warnings must be provided in the languages spoken by the people. Only this way can information be distributed fully. Those who are unable to read must also be considered.
Television and radio have long reached remote areas. But translating and broadcasting the same information in multiple languages while addressing different locations has both a high cost and low impact.
In this instance, CT products, including far-reaching IVR (or voice broadcasts with interactivity) and bulk SMS, prove useful.
You can easily translate text messages into different languages and broadcast them to high-risk areas. For recordings of messages, you can use a voice-over artist or text-to-speech technology. Regardless of literacy level, all call receivers will be able to take precautionary measures.
Emergency Response
It is difficult to predict natural disasters, unlike cyclones and storms. An example is earthquakes, floods, and volcanic eruptions. Despite a lack of early warning signs, focused relief efforts in the most affected areas are of paramount importance. Coordination is the key here.
Among the most effective methods of facilitating this is through the use of toll-free numbers, i.e. 1800 numbers. It is not surprising that governments and NGOs have used this technology in crises. Through it, individuals can easily reach out to volunteers, even in the most remote areas. Moreover, this is a solution that allows authorities to direct relief efforts to areas that may have been overlooked by other authorities.
Assist in the Aftermath of a Disaster
Natural disaster mitigation involves more than immediate rescue efforts. Reconstruction is a longer and more difficult process. If someone is stuck in a remote area after an earthquake, medical assistance may be needed. Medical organizations can easily and accurately provide accurate information to patients with CT solutions.
IVRs and toll-free numbers make telemedicine initiatives easy to implement. Doctors can be contacted by phone to provide advice to patients. CT has the potential to reach a large number of people and be of great assistance to the poor.
Conclusion
Many people and properties are destroyed by natural disasters. Volunteers and authorities can mitigate losses through early warnings and reliable communication. The robust and dedicated infrastructure of CT is perfect for communication. It has been proven to be a valuable asset for organizations time and again.
IVR services, toll-free numbers, and other CT products have a lot of uses, too, and when bundled together, they make an excellent disaster communication kit. Office24by7 is the ideal cloud telephony system provider offering the solution at a very reasonable price. Feel free to contact us at 91 7097171717 or drop an email at sales@office24by7.com today.
