Company Statement
MessageMedia's public statement regarding COVID-19
FAQ:
1. How is MessageMedia Group responding to Coronavirus (COVID-19)?
MessageMedia Group is working to getting as far ahead of the current public health crisis as possible with regards to the safety of our employees and our business.
Our Executive Leadership Team has assembled to tackle COVID-19 and have begun instituting policies and business continuity plans in order to ensure we have a system in place so that we are able to effectively function in case the current situation worsens.
We have already carried out an internal all-hands meeting letting every employee know of our stance, actions taken and future efforts, with a specific focus on reassuring staff members that we are ready to tackle this crisis together.
2. What are MessageMedia Group’s contingency strategies in the case of an office shut-down or larger pandemic?
At MessageMedia Group, we have long held Alternative Work Arrangement Policies that allow employees to work flexibly and from home. We are running trial Work From Home days with all employees in order to prepare ourselves in the case of office closures.
We believe that due to the web-based nature of our solution and flexible working practises, we will very easily be able to function as normal with little impact upon the business.
3. Will MessageMedia Group continue business as usual?
One of our priorities is to minimise any disruption to our business and to your business with us. Given that we are a web-based solution, we believe that you will be able to continue to use our product for your particular business needs.
We are also taking as many early steps to ensure that even if our offices and employees are compromised, we will still be able to support you.
4. Has MessageMedia Group taken steps to protect its employees?
Early this month, new Occupational Health and Safety policies were put into place reminding employees about how they can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 as based on the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations. We continue to promote the retention of clean and hygienic areas, regular and thorough hand-washing and frequent use of hand sanitisers. We have also offered guidance through our internal communications to promote these measures.
New policies have also been put into place preventing all non-essential travel, mandatory self-quarantines for those returning from international travel, and requiring any employees feeling unwell to stay at home.
Communication is also important and two-way. We are opening as many channels for employees to discuss their concerns with us. We recognise the potential mental health toll this may be having and have invited them to talk to us.
As MessageMedia Group CEO Paul Perrett said in a recent all-hands, “It’s okay to be anxious. Talk to us, talk to HR or talk to a colleague.” We will continue to put employee safety and well-being first and foremost.
5. How is MessageMedia Group communicating with its employees and customers about the virus?
With regards to our employees, we have opened dedicated online channels to continually update staff with our policies and actions as well as any new information about COVID-19.
As we recommend to our customers and businesses, we have our own SMS business messaging service set up should we need to send out urgent crisis communications. For example, should an office close and staff are required to work from home, we want to be able to notify our staff immediately.
We are also in the process of setting up a coronavirus resources hub within our online support site. Customers will be able to access specific COVID-19 templates, guides and articles on what they can do to prepare their emergency or business continuity related communications.
6. What if a MessageMedia Group employee contracts the virus?
Should an employee contract or be diagnosed with Coronavirus they are to notify us, stop working, and self-quarantine at home immediately for the minimum 14-days as recommended by WHO.
We will notify the local public health authority, follow any further instructions as required and support the employee through this mandatory period. If needed, we are ready to take further action such as a potential office closure if they have been in contact with others.
7. How will MessageMedia Group update customers as to any potential impacts or updates regarding COVID-19?
We will continue to provide relevant updates to our customers through our usual communication channels, including our online support site where the new coronavirus resource hub will live. In the meantime, we encourage any concerned customers to contact us if they feel they might be impacted.
8. What is MessageMedia Group doing to help out during this public health crisis?
We believe that MessageMedia Group has an important role to play. Given the cut-through nature of SMS messaging, many current customers are already using our services to relay urgent information about their business and COVID-19 to their suppliers, employees, patients and customers.
We are actively working to develop new guides and templates for emergency communications to assist hospitals, schools, government organisations, and all types of businesses with their urgent messaging needs.
9. Is MessageMedia Group capable of handling the potential influx of messages needed to send out important information and emergency updates about Coronavirus?
For over 20 years, MessageMedia Group has built a strong SaaS business that is now servicing over 50,000 customers worldwide and that sends out more than 200M messages per month. Further to that, 95% of our messages arrive within two seconds and we are proud that our average gateway uptime exceeds 99.99%.
While a crisis like COVID-19 is unprecedented for everyone, we believe that we are in a strong position to handle an increasing number of businesses wishing to send out important information to their stakeholders around COVID-19.
10. How can I best contact MessageMedia Group if I believe that this will impact my business and our operations?
Just submit a request with our support team and they can lend a hand.