On Tuesday, RouteMatch Software Inc. announced it has formed a strategic alliance with Ontira Communications Inc., a provider of automated traveler information systems (ATIS) for the transportation industry.

Under terms of the alliance, RouteMatch, a provider of scheduling and dispatching software, will integrate and package Ontira's HandyLine solution into the RouteMatch suite of software. This integration will benefit RouteMatch customers by providing 24/7 access to trip information over the telephone. Additionally, customers will be proactively notified about upcoming trips through telephone and/or email/SMS.

HandyLine works in conjunction with a variety of media including interactive voice response (IVR). Registered users of this service can receive reminder notifications of their upcoming demand response trips and confirm and cancel them using the self-service IVR. This service benefits the transit agency by reducing the number of routine inquiries about upcoming trips, allowing them to focus on providing better service for more complex requests. As a result agencies can handle more incoming calls without incurring increased costs.

HandyLine optional modules include automated trip booking, automated speech recognition, and email / SMS support. In addition, RouteMatch and Ontira are exploring multi-modal trip planning features to offer riders more options when planning a trip.

The comprehensive product will benefit all of RouteMatch's customers by offering a lower barrier of entry to providing self-service and notification features to their riders, according to the companies.