Mass Communication Systems

Whether you require a mass communication system for use in an emergency or for use in event of other business disruptions, do you know what would work best for you? If not, take a look at this week's articles for some helpful information about the various types of systems and their uses, including integrating social media into your system.

A single timely notification can make the difference between an inconvenience and a disaster. (Item #1)     Mass notification systems are not only useful in emergencies. (Item #2)     Comprehensive notification coverage generally requires a variety of alerting methods to overcome obstacles that may prevent individuals from receiving an emergency alert. (Item #3)    

Here's the latest breakdown of the more commonly used emergency alert systems. (Item #4)     Twitter offers access to an API that can easily integrate into notification systems. (Item #5)     This article lays out different messaging methods possible with mass notification systems. (Item #6)    

As always, I look forward to hearing about your concerns with regard to business continuity. If there are any topics that you'd like to see covered, email me at [email protected].

Bob Mellinger, President
Attainium Corp

1. The changing paradigm in mass notification: Unified Communications

Interruptions to day-to-day business operations for the average organization occur numerous times per year, resulting in thousands of hours of lost productivity and revenue -- potentially endangering public safety. Common causes of these interruptions include power outages, severe storms, floods, chemical spills, accidents, information system crashes, human error and more.
http://www.gsnmagazine.com/article/23926/
changing_paradigm_mass_notification_unified_commun

2. Mass Notification Systems Help Improve Business Practices

Security technologies are offering several new options and capabilities that go beyond the typical uses in traditional applications. More specifically, a mass notification system's primary objective is to disseminate one-way communication to individuals or groups of individuals in the event of an emergency. These systems provide the fastest way to deliver a message to the masses when a crisis situation arises. However, with advancements in software technology and successful systems integration, mass notification systems have taken on a much broader scope of functionality.
http://www.corporatetechdecisions.com/article/
mass_notification_systems_help_improve_business_practices

3. Selecting an Emergency Mass Notification System

In many situations such as on-campus shootings, time is of the essence. According to a recently released FBI study on active shooter incidents in the U.S., 60 percent of active shooter scenarios ended before police arrived. This means that notification coverage and timeliness are crucial when it comes to getting an emergency alert out to individuals, and it is important for schools to consider a comprehensive emergency notification system (ENS) that can reach all students, faculty, and staff both quickly and easily.
http://seenmagazine.us/articles/article-detail/articleid/4379/selecting-an-emergency-mass-notification-system.aspx

4. Your Mass Notification Cheat Sheet

Deploying multiple modes will help to ensure the strengths of one solution compensate for the weaknesses of others. Many of these solutions can now be linked with each other so messages can reach more individuals on or near a campus, as well as other stakeholders, such as family members. Be certain to test the systems regularly, and account for the hearing and sight impaired.
http://www.campussafetymagazine.com/files/resources/CSJ-Mass-Notification.pdf

5. Social Media: How to Use Twitter to Supplement Enterprise and Mass Notification

More and more enterprises are using notification systems to handle everyday messaging, emergency notifications and mass notification. Social media can play an important role in these communications, but it is important for management to understand the limits, benefits and risks. Twitter is by far the most used social media tool for mass notification because of its popular appeal.
http://us.westcon.com/content/news/vendor-partner-news/mutare-news/mutare-social-media-12-06-12

6. Mass Notification Systems Offer Multiple Messaging Methods

Another way that mass notification systems require solid planning is in the flexibility of message delivery, or the "layers" available. While a fire alarm usually revolves around a siren, a bell or strobe lights, a mass notification system has a multitude of ways to deliver its message - everything from speakers to text messages to robocalls.
http://www.facilitiesnet.com/emergencypreparedness/article/Mass-Notification-Systems-Offer-Multiple-Messaging-Methods--12975?source=part