LTE  |  2020-03-30

Zello Makes its Enterprise Push-to-Talk Service Free to First Responders Globally to Improve COVID-19 Assistance

Source: The Critical Communications Review | Gert Jan Wolf editor

The Zello app is already localized in 22 languages and the program benefits now extend to any first responder organization in the world.

Zello, a push-to-talk voice messaging service that enables collaboration for workers and communities, today announces that its enterprise-grade solution is now available at no cost to first responders, anywhere in the world. Through its Zello for First Responder program, U.S.-based first responders were previously able to use the professional version of Zello for free. The Zello app is already localized in 22 languages and the program benefits now extend to any first responder organization in the world.

Zello has often emerged as a critical tool in times of crisis for coordinating preparedness and rescue efforts. The current Coronavirus pandemic is no exception. Zello has also mobilized staff to quickly handle the surging demand for the program. The company has in fact been receiving multiple applications per hour, an all-time high.

“As we watch COVID-19 unfold, we are anticipating strains on hospital and first responder systems,”said Bill Moore, CEO of Zello. “During this time, first responders and their supervisors need to communicate to a broader set of people who don’t have radios or radio coverage. As such, we've decided to open the program to all first responder organizations worldwide at an enterprise level, in an effort to help curb the strain on these systems.”

In addition to the geographical coverage extension, the Zello for First Responder program now includes all enterprise-grade solutions, including location history for all users of the network, facilitated by Google Maps. Additional features include a searchable centralized archive of all communication and a new dispatch communication solution. Zello users can also send photos and messages to one another and to groups of up to 8,000 users, and can use it to share crucial information that, at times, can mean the difference between life and death.

Picture: Courtesy of Yellowstone Gate under creative commons.