Although Senture’s focus was initially to provide call center support and services for federal and state government agencies, clearly our service offerings dictate a role in certain areas of the commercial sector as well.  Specific markets being targeted include:

• U.S. Department of Homeland Security
• American Trucking Associations
• Kentucky Tourism
• Political Campaigns

A number of these clients have depended on the Deaton family's data management expertise since the founding of Image Entry in 1992.

Highway Watch for Homeland Security
During the perilous days since September 11, 2001, our government has sought to protect us and keep our citizens safe.  Billions of dollars have been invested in a host of initiatives under the “umbrella” of protection referred to as “Homeland Security.”  One of these initiatives, referred to as “Highway Watch,” gave Senture its first major opportunity to be “On Call for America.”

The Highway Watch program, which initially came into being as a highway safety program in 1998, gave Senture its first major test in providing a national call center to support the nation’s transportation industry.  After September 11, 2001, the idea of a much expanded Highway Watch program to protect our nation from terrorism was born.  What makes this initiative particularly interesting is that the terrorists’ favored method of dealing death and destruction has historically been car or truck bombs. 

The Highway Watch initiative is administered by the American Trucking Associations under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Transportation Security Administration.  The program, whose callers come from over two million transportation workers, including truck drivers, bus drivers, rest stop workers, municipal workers, etc., is supported by live operators 24/7/365 from the company’s headquarters in London, Kentucky.

The objective of every CSR is very simple:  to protect the critical infrastructure of the nation, as well as the transportation of goods, services, and people by utilizing the skills, experiences, and “road savvy” of America’s transportation workers. 

The program, which has already been funded through Homeland Security through 2006, stands as a “model” of what a successful protection-oriented call center should be.  Both transportation workers, as well as CSRs (with whom they communicate) are carefully trained to focus on what to look for, and once collected, to immediately report every security call to the appropriate law enforcement officials in ISAC (Highway Information Sharing and Analysis Center) so that appropriate actions are taken.  Safety calls are passed directly to local law enforcement or 911 for immediate processing.

Although exact call volumes are difficult to predict, it is expected the center may be required to handle four million calls per year once the training is completed.  The training is expected to take approximately 18 months.

511
The second major contract obtained by Senture involved the implementation of a “511” call center supporting tourism in Kentucky’s 5th Congressional District.  The idea was born out of the intellect and desires of U.S. Congressman “Hal” Rogers to “spur” tourism in his beloved Kentucky.  The program itself, which is administered by the Southern and Eastern Kentucky Tourism Development Association (SEKTDA), is headquartered in the Center for Rural Development in Somerset, Kentucky.

The uniqueness of the SEKTDA initiative is highlighted by the fact that there is only one other “511” center operating in the United States which has the tourism component.  That facility is in the 81 corridor of Virginia. 

Functionally, the 511 call center staff is open to take calls from 6 am to 12 am everyday (Sunday through Saturday).  Specifically, every CSR has been exposed to weeks of training regarding every attraction (including lodging capabilities) in Kentucky’s 5th Congressional District.

CASE IN POINT: Trucking for Homeland Security

CASE IN POINT: Putting 511 to Work for Tourism