MessageNet

Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

  • The Benefits of Barricading

    In light of the recent shootings at the Navy Base in Washington, D.C., it’s important to think about what our responses should be in an emergency. In situations with an active shooter, locking the door is one of the quickest things to do for people to protect themselves, but it’s often not enough. A locked…

  • The Trouble with Weather Alerts

    We’re often asked if we can automate weather alerts from the National Weather Service. While this is possible with MessageNet Connections, it’s not recommended. Weather alerts are often broadcast to a very large area and aren’t always relevant to specific buildings or locations. Automating weather alert messages also precludes any customization from the message, so…

  • Solving the Problem of Having Too Many Cameras to Monitor

    Recent events are causing a large increase in the number of surveillance and video cameras in public locations. This can cause information overload if the cameras aren’t effectively managed. With more cameras than people to view the recordings, important video footage can go ignored. MessageNet offers a solution to this problem by integrating camera and…

  • MessageNet PA capabilities

    Most people think of PA as being a simple audio tool. Pick up a phone and speak and your voice will be transmitted to speakers all over the building. While MessageNet does have the capability to transmit to any combination of speakers, our PA system has a lot more to offer. Reply to a PA…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • Now Offering Combined Audio/Visual Public Address

    Electronic signage has become a mainstay of public communications. Because these types of signs are increasingly used for both everyday and emergency situations, it is important for signs to have both audio and visual capabilities. MessageNet systems’ Audio/Visual PA meets this criteria, fulfilling the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Because these signs…

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