Press releases

Text alerts for staff are 'gr8'

A Coventry company has launched a new cutting edge service for mobile communications giant Vodafone.

Wire-e, based at the University of Warwick Science Park's Business Innovation Centre in Binley, is masterminding the Vodafone Rapide Response service which allows organisations to communicate with staff during major incidents.

Wire-e, which was formed in 2000, has a 24-hour, seven day a week call centre operation which can field calls from organisations and companies during emergencies.

It then sends SMS messages to essential staff relaying vital information.

Amanda McCulloch, of wire-e, said the service was a development of an exisiting service offered by Vodaphone.

"We already ran the Rapide service which is similar but for non-emergencies. Rapide Response ensures that organisations only have to make a single call to Binley to ensure their staff are kept fully informed of any alert, disaster or emergency.

"The information can be relayed in flash or scrolling text on their mobile and the information is also totally secure. The service also offers 100 per cent reliability because we know if the message is not received and can then send it to alternative contacts. We also provide a full audit trail so customers can track the messages.

"Obviously in the current climate companies and organisations have been looking closely at their emergency procedures and Rapide Response plays a vital part in that."

Wire-e set up in the Business Innovation Centre and now employs 20 staff.

Karen Aston, manager of the Binley complex, said that the company was the ideal model of an Innovation Centre tenant.

"Wire has grown to now take three units in the centre underlining our flexibility. The company has also benefited from participating on the STEP-Student Project Scheme for two years running. The projects involved the design and development of a new website.

Harry Stott, Warwick Science Park's project director, said: "This success doesn't come as a surprise. We're firmly convinced that this is just the beginning.

14/10/2003