MessageNet

Author: Jessica Neuner

  • Cameras in classrooms

    Cameras in classrooms are a valuable tool for a variety of reasons. They can be used for video conferences or for classroom-based morning announcements. They can even be used for classroom observation, which can be a useful resource for teachers to initiate a video recording of incidences in the classroom or to identify and document bullying.

    Cameras can also be vital for emergency situations. Not only can they record an event to be analyzed after the fact, but they can also pop and display live video feeds from the point of interest to staff PCs and digital signage.  Additionally these cameras can deliver live video feed to police, fire fighters, or other emergency responders. Having advanced knowledge of a situation can mean saving more lives.

    —

    , ,

  • Record Live PA

    MessageNet already offers one of the most versatile and comprehensive PA systems on the market. We’ve recently added the ability to automatically record any announcement that is spoken live over a PA. This is useful because that same message can be replayed later if its intended recipient didn’t hear all of it, or if it needs to be repeated later East Inflatable Rentals. This allows for more complicated spoken announcements, because users no longer have to worry that the message will be lost or not remembered if it’s too long, since it can always be replayed. This also provides an audit trail, so if there’s been a problem with unauthorized use of the PA, exactly what was said and who said it can easily be found out.

    —

    , , , ,

  • Save a PowerPoint as a Video

    MessageNet Connections users with Microsoft PowerPoint (version 2012 or later) now have the option to save a PowerPoint presentation as a video file. This makes displaying a presentation on a MessageNet MediaPort a lot simpler. PowerPoint presentations have often had many specific settings that need to be correct in order to properly display (as explained in this earlier blog post: Make Power Point Presentations Compatible), so a video, which only needs to be saved in widescreen format, is a lot easier to successfully create and display. Another advantage of the video format is that all transitions and animations are compatible and display on MediaPorts, unlike the .ppt format, which is more restrictive.

    To save a presentation as a video, follow these steps:
    1. Click on the ‘file’ tab and select ‘save & send’
    2. Under the ‘file types’ heading, select ‘save as video’
    3. If you haven’t already set up transition timings, it will ask you to do so next
    4. Save the file (it may take a few minutes for the file to be converted, depending on the speed of your computer)
    5. Finally, upload it to a MessageNet Connections media message and enjoy a nicer presentation that was easier to create

    —

    , ,

  • Message Prioritization

    Because MessageNet Connections can be used for both everyday and emergency communications, protocols for message prioritization need to be set up. Too often, users, not wanting their messages to be interrupted by others’, set theirs with higher priority levels, potentially blocking any other messages (even emergency messages) from being displayed or spoken. I recommend that an organization should establish priority standards for each type of message ahead of time so users know what priority to give their messages inflatable water slides.

    The default priority for normal messages is 200. Other every day priority levels can be set around this base. While emergency messages should have higher priority levels, emergencies are not necessarily equal. This is where it’s vital to set priority standards before emergencies happen, so a message about a fire threatening the entire building isn’t blocked by a message about a water leak in the basement that may only damage equipment. Having different classifications for emergency messages can help make choosing a priority level easier. Also, within Connections’ User Database Manager, it is possible to restrict certain users from sending messages with higher than a certain priority, so only emergency personnel can send messages with emergency-level priority, making it easier to control how the priority levels of messages are set up.

    I highly recommend these steps be taken to ensure that emergency communications are reliably delivered and are not lost in the crowd of common daily communications.

    —

    , , , ,

  • Security in Schools

    In an emergency, like the mass-shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, seconds matter enormously. An event of that nature is impossible to predict, and thus impossible to completely prevent, but if improving the speed and effectiveness of emergency communications can save at least one life, then it’s vital to do so. An emergency management and notification system needs to be able to provide specific, relevant instructions to different groups of people, give different sets of information to students, teachers, and parents, and to quickly notify and inform the police or other emergency responders.

    Security features that can warn of an impending emergency are also vital. Features such as glass-break detectors, wireless panic buttons, fire panel integration, audio/visual PA, cameras, and location-aware way-finding can prevent bullying, save lives, and overall make schools a safer place without the hassle, expense, limitations or risk of armed security guards. While a security guard could provide some level of protection, it’s very expensive to employ even one inflatable water slides for sale. Also, a security guard cannot be in more than one room at a time, while cameras can be in every room and can project a live feed to first emergency responders and police, providing situational awareness so they can be prepared for the situation.

    —

    ,

  • Security at the London 2012 Olympics

    For the 2012 Olympics, London, which already had a large number of security cameras, did everything from install surface-to-air missiles to surveillance systems for infectious diseases. One of the most important innovations for the Olympic Games, however, is probably the introduction of the Apollo network. For the first time in Olympic history, Private Mobile Services Radio provider is a sponsorship category. Airwave, the company that built the Airwave Network, in use by London emergency services since the emergency communications debacle of the 2005 bombings of the London Underground, is the official sponsor in that category. For the London Olympic Games, Airwave built a completely new communications network, called the Apollo Network, that was separate from the existing emergency services Airwave network. This network ensures communication across London with no interference from other radio systems. Airwave also improved the existing emergency services radio network, increasing its capacity, especially in the areas where security would be of bigger concern.

    Radio communication was first proposed in London after the mobile phone network, which had been the primary emergency communications system, was overloaded during the aftermath of the bombing of the London Underground. Since then, the Airwave radio network, implemented in 2006 as the Connect Project, has proven to be exceptional, especially underground, and secure and efficient. The Airwave network was tested by a real emergency situation in during the 2011 riots. This made the network ideal for the increased security measures taken for the Olympic Games, although a separate network was required in order to retain the same levels of efficiency and resilience.

    —

    ,

  • Reliance on Mobile Phone Services

    Mobile phone technology is ubiquitous in our culture. Nearly everyone has a mobile phone, and given the recent developments of their capabilities, it’s easy to see why. Phones can function as GPS units, mobile media devices and mini computers in addition to the more basic features such as text messaging, e-mail, and phone calls. Perhaps because of this as well as the widespread use of such devices, many emergency communications services rely on mobile phones to disseminate emergency messages and alerts. This has resulted in varying levels of success.

    In some emergency situations, mobile phones have provided most, if not all, of the emergency communication. In the recent shootings at the Sikh Temple in Wisconsin, people trapped inside the temple used cell phones to contact those outside. One woman phoned her niece from inside a cupboard to warn her not to go near the temple. While this event was horrific, it was on a small enough scale that mobile phone technology was the best form of emergency communication. Reaching small numbers of people doesn’t overload a mobile network, while an event on a larger scale, such as the London Subway Bombings in 2005, the reliance on mobile phone communication overloaded and crippled the mobile phone networks, essentially rendering the emergency response departments unable to communicate with the victims or with each other. In large-scale emergency events, mobile phone emergency communications have proven themselves to be unreliable.

    Having multiple modes of emergency communications, such as radios, digital signage, speakers, and alarms, can often save lives where a single mode of communication could fail. Even in small-scale emergencies, while mobile phones have proven useful, it’s impossible to predict the nature or scale of an emergency ahead of time. It is also impossible to predict how an emergency will be perceived by the people involved. A low-risk situation could still cause wide-spread panic that overloaded a network.

    —

  • Creating a Personal Directory with MessageNet Connections

    The User Directory of MessageNet Connections can be organized in many different ways. You can view other users based on their department, last name, organization, group, lists they’re a part of, or any number of other ways. But what about contacts that aren’t users in the Connections system? The contact information for non-staff is still important for any company or organization that needs to be stored for the organization so it’s not lost if someone leaves. That’s where the Personal Directory comes in. It’s part of the User Directory and can be viewed the same way as a department or a group, but those outside contacts are visible only to the user that added them. These personal contacts can be  customers, vendors, clients, personal friends, or any contact that isn’t already a Connections user. This feature allows users to quickly dial contacts from outside the Connections database, storing them just like other Connections users for ease of access and use.

    To add a new personal contact, click on the ‘name’ header above the list of people’s names in the User Directory. Connections will then ask for information about that contact, beginning with first and last name and including everything from phone number to e-mail address. The contacts added in this way appear on the User Directory screen the same way as other contacts, but with a ‘P’ icon to indicate that the entry is a personal contact. The user can even add all of the same information for a personal contact as is available for defining new users. This option makes organizing contacts easier, so all contacts, whether they’re users on the same Connections system or not, can be stored in the same place.

     

    —

    , ,

  • The Benefits of a Browser-Based System

    MessageNet Connections is browser-based, meaning that it is launched directly from a web browser, such as Firefox or Chrome. Even though those two browsers (especially Chrome) are preferred for the best experience, this allows users to sign in on whichever web browser they feel most comfortable using, whether that is Safari, Firefox, Chrome, Internet Explorer, or most other web browsers. This also means that users can sign in to their own Connections account on any device that supports a web browser. This can include iPads, iPhones, Android phones, Android tablets, and other mobile devices, so messages can be sent, signs tested, and more, all on the go. MessageNet Connections can also be used on any computer, which is useful for users who work at multiple locations throughout the day. You don’t have to worry about forgetting to sign out, either. Connections automatically logs off in the original location when a user signs in on a different device. You can even log in to MessageNet Connections from home, on vacation, or anywhere, if you have a VPN or external access to the server’s network.

    —

    , ,

  • Make Power Point Presentations Compatible

    MessageNet Connections can be used to make media messages that can be posted to LCD screens. Media messages can contain videos, photos, Power Point presentations, or other types of media. Power Point presentations, while still easy to attach to a message, have a few more specifications to make them compatible.

    A good tip is to keep transitions between slides as simple as possible and test the presentation in the free program Open Office, which has similarly-supported features as a MediaPort. If a presentation doesn’t work properly on an LCD screen, chances are it’s because the transitions were too complex.

    The presentation also needs to be saved as a .ppt file rather than the .pptx file type associated with Microsoft 2007 and later, so you’ll need to save in compatibility mode. It needs to be saved in widescreen format (either 16:9 or 16:10). If the presentation is going to be displayed on more than one sign, it needs to be set up to loop continuously and to have timed transitions between slides. If it’s meant for only one LCD, then a PowerPoint control screen will pop up upon launch, allowing you to control the presentation manually. If the presentation has been saved with timed transitions, then those settings will override the manual control screen.

     

    —

    ,