Ontario Systems Releases Cell Phone Compliance Tool

Within days of a potentially damaging court ruling, Ontario Systems announces the release of its Validity version 1.0 product. The only fully integrated product specifically designed for the collections industry, it enables agencies to continue to work accounts with cell phone numbers both effectively and in compliance with recent judicial rulings.

A California court recently ruled that auto-dialers cannot call cell phones without the consumer’s permission. Unless the credit grantor acquired permission to call a consumer’s cell phone when the debt was incurred, third-party collection agencies risk litigation when calling consumers’ cell phones.

“Agencies incur a significant legal risk if they continue to call unauthorized cell phones,” said Jason Harrington, product director for Ontario Systems. “But removing cell phone numbers from all dialing pools creates a likely drop in productivity and collections. Without this solution from Ontario Systems, collection agencies are in a very difficult position.”

Unlike other offerings, the Ontario Systems’ solution meets the critical issues of both compliance and productivity. Since cell phone numbers are estimated to comprise between 15 and 35 percent of any agency’s phone number database, eliminating all cell phone numbers would obviously hamper an agency’s ability to effectively work accounts.

“This product is far superior to any other solution for this potentially damaging ruling,” said Mike Meyer, vice president of sales for Ontario Systems. “It allows our clients to remain 100 percent in compliance while still maintaining their productivity levels.”

While Ontario Systems’ applications already allow cell phone numbers to be eliminated from calling pools, the Validity 1.0 product offers a quantum leap forward in the ability to manage cell phone numbers more effectively. During pool builds the system will automatically validate entries in real-time against the cell phone number database. Cell phone numbers are flagged as authorized or unauthorized to call. User-level alerts will notify the agent if the account being worked has cell phone numbers that have not been authorized. This will alert the agent to request authorization from the responsible party and Ontario Systems’ transaction recording product, the VoiceTrak product, will record the authorization and attach it to the account. The agent can request authorization for all accounts tied to the responsible party.

The individual cell phone flag can be overridden at the client level. If a credit grantor gained permission to call cell phone numbers when the debt was incurred, the third-party collector can legally call this number.

To learn more about how Validity 1.0 can assist your business remain in compliance and remain productive, please call 800.283.3227.

About Ontario Systems, LLC
Ontario Systems provides debt collection software to organizations that manage large volumes of accounts receivables. These include hospitals, collection agencies, collection attorneys and bankcard issuers. As the largest provider of receivables management products, including the Artiva, FACS and Guaranteed Contacts systems, Ontario Systems is recognized throughout the industry as the leader in technology and customer service. With operations in Indiana and Ohio, it is a privately held company headquartered in Muncie, Ind. For more information, visit www.ontariosystems.com.