We say all the time how rapidly technology has evolved over the last two decades.
When we watch movies from the 2000s, it jumps off the screen how antiquated technology seems that really isn’t that old. Solutions we once considered cutting edge are now outdated.
Communication is one area where this is really obvious. For example, when I tried to explain to my teenage brother what T9 texting was, he looked at me like I was a dinosaur.
Another change within communication has been mass notifications.
On a large scale, national and state alerts are now sent directly to our smartphones.
During inclement weather, parents are notified via automated texts or calls when school is canceled. My children will never know the pain of looking away when your school name finally rolls across the bottom of the local news.
Singlewire helps make this notification process possible through its software InformaCast.
As an IT consultant, The KR Group has helped schools, manufacturers, hospitals, and others implement mass notification technology through InformaCast.
What Is InformaCast?
While InformaCast is often pigeonholed as a paging solution, it’s better described as a mass notification software, and you have a few different options to choose from:
- InformaCast Fusion is a hybrid-cloud-based mass notification system that reaches people via on-premises and mobile devices.
- InformaCast Advanced is a notification software solution that transforms devices on any network into a powerful system for IP paging and emergency alerting.
- InformaCast Mobile is a cloud-based notification system that reaches people on their mobile devices or via email.
As you better understand what InformaCast is and begin thinking of the different ways you could use the solution in your organization, you’re bound to have questions.
Here are some of the ones we hear most often:
- How can you use InformaCast?
- What are the benefits of InformaCast?
- Who should use InformaCast?
Reading the answers to those questions below, ultimately, you’ll better understand if InformaCast is right for you.
How Can You Use InformaCast?
There are numerous ways you can implement InformaCast in a variety of scenarios.
Some ways The KR Group has seen InformaCast implemented include sending weather notifications to your users’ smartphones, broadcasting emergency alerts via desk phones, and setting a bell schedule.
But that is only scratching the surface on what InformaCast can do. You can implement panic buttons that automatically alert 911 of emergencies or use IoT sensors to notify about chemical spills.
Other ways InformaCast can work in your organization include:
- Active shooter alerts and lockdowns
- Scheduled notifications
- 911 alerting
- Building lockdowns
- Building evacuations
To send out the notifications, you can use InformaCast’s app and web portal or 11 other options, such as physical panic buttons, desk phones, and Microsoft Teams.
What Are the Benefits of InformaCast?
InformaCast is versatile.
The most apparent benefit of InformaCast is all of the options you have for types of notifications and how to send them.
Additionally, you get control over who gets those messages. When you define groups and zones, you ensure your users get the alerts intended for them at the right time.
This might look like notifying select security personnel or alerting within a specific building, wing, or floor to inform those who are affected.
Who Should Use InformaCast?
The short answer is anyone who needs to alert their users en masse.
However, if you’re looking for more direction, InformaCast is especially helpful for a few different industries.
Education
Singlewire, the company that offers InformaCast, already focused on IT solutions for schools, so it was natural to consider education needs with their notification solution.
Setting a bell schedule, automatically locking doors, sending weather alerts to parents, and active shooter alerts or lockdowns, you can quickly see all of the ways education institutions could benefit from InformaCast.
Healthcare
Similar to schools, healthcare needs mass notification capabilities to alert and protect a group of people.
If you’re looking for a mass notification solution for your healthcare organization, you would likely benefit from InformaCast’s overhead announcement and building lockdowns or evacuations.
Manufacturing
Getting messages to users on a manufacturing floor can pose challenges, but InformaCast has options to help you communicate important messages.
Since you can use several different types of devices to convey mass notifications (including strobes or alarms), you can catch employees’ attention even if they’re working on a loud manufacturing floor.
Learning More about InformaCast
InformaCast is a helpful solution when you’re looking to notify multiple people simultaneously.
There are numerous ways to make alerts and have the notices disseminated, so whatever industry you’re in, you’ll find a use case that works for your business.
As you continue to think about whether InformaCast is right for your mass notification needs, check out Singlewire’s blog for more information on what the solution could do for your business.