Darn it, it is flat after all

But I wonder if they understand each other.

NEW DELHI - It is the kind of crisis management only possible in an era of perfect connectivity in a global world. Call center executives based in the Indian state of Gujarat are guiding residents of Texas afflicted by Hurricane Rita.

The call center located in the city of Gandhinagar is run by Effective Tele Services and is informing affected Texas residents about safer locations, evacuation and relief operations.

The Indian arm of the US-based firm came into play when its two call centers in Texas were temporarily shut down due to fear that they could suffer damage from Hurricane Rita. "I received a frantic call from Robert Hurst, a senior judge in Texas on Friday night," said Jim Iyoob, the center's director in Gujarat and a resident of Texas. "He requested me to set up a helpline at the business process outsourcing [BPO] center to help evacuees in Texas find a temporary shelter from the hurricane," he said.

The helpline was immediately started, with executives providing information sourced from the Internet by monitoring websites and maps. "All calls from our Texas office are being diverted to India," said Iyoob.