As Santa Claus makes final preparations in the North Pole for his worldwide sleigh ride, Verizon’s holiday tech team is poised to track his whereabouts on December 24th. Partnering with the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) for the 21st consecutive year, Verizon will provide support for a toll-free hotline that children can use to track Santa’s Christmas Eve journey.
Verizon will tap its C-Band spectrum, which significantly expands the availability of higher-performing 5G connectivity, to provide NORAD’s commercial network with redundant Wi-Fi to ensure reliable coverage, along with Cradlepoint routers, Wi-Fi jetpacks, a Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) solution, and Verizon Frontline mobile assets for onsite support.
“This is a special time of year for children all across the world, and we’re proud to say that for over two decades, Verizon has supported the NORAD Tracks Santa Initiative,” said Maggie Hallbach, SVP, Public Sector at Verizon Business. “It’s an opportunity to collaborate with a longstanding partner in NORAD, while also bringing joy and tapping into the imaginations of children around the world.”
Receiving more than 130,000 phone calls last year, NORAD’s hotline needs a little help. That’s why Verizon’s Consulting Services team designed and deployed an Interactive Voice Response System (IVR), a call management system with error handling software and failover logic, to provide extra support. The smart, automated system can answer childrens’ questions and provide Santa’s flight path information in the event that call center volunteers are occupied with other callers.
“Twenty-one years ago, the Verizon Consulting Services team played a big role in designing and implementing the NORAD Tracks Santa IVR system,” said Tara Sunderraj, Vice President for Verizon Consulting Services. “Over the years, the IVR system has evolved, with our team incorporating smart tools that ensure every child has a chance to track Santa and hear from an elf.”
The toll-free hotline – 1-877-Hi-NORAD (1-877-446-6723) – will be in operation for calls beginning at 6AM (Eastern Standard Time) on December 24. Program the hotline number into your Verizon phone as “NORAD Call Center.”