RedSky Technologies introduced a client application that makes it possible for softphone users to quickly register their location. The new RedSky Softphone Location Determination Application (SLDA) seamlessly interfaces with any softphone to provide E911 protection and location-based services (LBS) for nomadic softphone users anywhere in the United States.

SLDA allows enterprises to provide complete 911 protection to their employees, whether they are within or outside the corporate network. Validating new locations takes seconds, providing immediate 911 protection to employees at their new locations.

With SLDA, when softphone users dial 911, their calls are transferred automatically to the 911 dispatch centers that have geographic responsibility for them. A softphone user can be in New York in the morning and in San Francisco in the evening, but with SLDA, no matter where the user is, when he or she dials 911, his or her precise location will be relayed to the correct 911 dispatch center.

Additionally, SLDA leverages the web mappings services of Microsoft, Google and Yahoo, enabling softphone users to view physical maps of their locations and take advantage of location-based advertising services. RedSky currently is deploying SLDA at two large financial services companies for their thousands of nomadic softphone users.

"Softphones are becoming more and more popular and are being rolled out in large numbers," said Nick Maier, senior vice president, RedSky. "We believe we are the first in the industry to introduce an application that makes it simple and fast for softphone users to identify their location, connect to 911 services and take advantage of emerging location-based services."

SLDA is built on patent-pending technology and is an optional component of RedSky's E911 Manager enterprise software application. E911 Manager provides complete automation of E911 services for digital, IP and analog phones across the enterprise. E911 Manager is integrated with the V911 service of Intrado, which enables location validation and routing of a 911 call to the correct 911 dispatch center.

SLDA works with any Windows based softphone and is easily installed as a download. General availability is Q4 2006, and SLDA will be priced as a monthly mobility service charge per softphone for unlimited location updating and national E911 coverage.