March 2017 product updates: group texting API, ready-for-anything mobile 911 routing, expanded Canadian coverage

This month we hedged our bets on our favorite college basketball teams (here in Raleigh, it’s all anyone can talk about!), and announced a few updates that we’re excited to share with you.

A whole new way to reply all: group texting API

Our newly updated Messaging API comes with a particularly shiny new feature: group texting! It’s the first API on the market to accommodate both group and single-recipient messages, giving developers the freedom to easily create a robust messaging experience with just one REST API. We think the API provides some awesome opportunities for collaboration software or messaging applications looking for a way to extend their usage outside of their application. Imagine updating an entire team with a simple text message, while seamlessly tracking progress in your project management app, or extending the life of a conference call while you’re on the go.

Moving to SMS-based communication is also a way of solving the ever-increasing problem of “application fatigue”. Sick of using 14 different applications to track conversations? What if all your conversations could be handled inside your phone’s native text messaging app? That’s the kind of world this API could help build.

New mobile 911 Access services get you ready for anything life brings

Two new ways to route mobile 911 calls help you answer life’s most crucial calls. Dynamic Location Routing uses XML to deliver extremely precise location information, marking a significant improvement over existing 911 VoIP solutions. It gives businesses the power to add context to emergency calls by attaching critical metadata to any location object provisioned in the Bandwidth 911 database. This feature can help save time and prevent confusion for emergency responders with information about specific locations like a specific conference room within a building, or floor of a parking garage.

The second new 911 Access service, Coordinate Routing, uses latitude and longitude to provide an address to emergency responders. This update brings improved accuracy and faster response time for callers without a physical address associated with their phone. Without this service in place, those calls might otherwise be routed to a call center in another state or another county. This more robust solution makes it possible for virtually any caller to be located quickly and accurately in their time of need, without a pre-loaded address.

Expanded coverage for our northern neighbors – hello Canada!

We’ve expanded our network footprint to include 1,300 additional rate centers in Canada. This update includes phone numbers, network availability, and ability to transfer numbers in real-time with Canadian carrier partners. This brings great opportunities to expand your own business into Canada… and also gives the Bandwidth team a great excuse to celebrate by putting excessive quantities of maple syrup on all our breakfast foods.

Interested in how your business might benefit from any of these updates?

Give us a shout at [email protected] to start a conversation now.