The MessageNet Blog
Get The Message Out!
Effectively Using PC Alert
While PC Alert is easy to use, convenient for messaging and necessary in emergencies, it can get overwhelming for employees if not used in a strategic way. There are good reasons why PC Alert can’t be disabled and will always pop over other windows
on a computer, but it can be distracting for employees when they find their work being interrupted, unnecessarily. Thus, it’s important to consider limiting the messages that come through over PC Alert to only the most important messages and their targeted audience. Like the boy who cried wolf, if people are constantly receiving messages unnecessarily through PC Alert, it can diminish the importance and impact of an actual emergency message.
While PC Alert is easy to use, convenient for messaging and necessary in emergencies, it can get overwhelming for employees if not used in a strategic way. There are good reasons why PC Alert can’t be disabled and will always pop over other windows on a computer, but it can be distracting for employees when they find their work being interrupted, unnecessarily. Thus, it’s important to consider limiting the messages that come through over PC Alert to only the most important messages and their targeted audience. Like the boy who cried wolf, if people are constantly receiving messages unnecessarily through PC Alert, it can diminish the importance and impact of an actual emergency message.
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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.
Smarter Security in Movie Theaters and Public Venues
First, I want to express both my own and my company’s genuine shock and sadness about the horrific attack in Aurora, Colorado during the early morning of July 20. The tragic violence of a mass shooting at a movie theater during the premiere of a big movie like The Dark Knight Rises has me, like so many others, trying to understand what happened. And because I work with emergency communication systems for a living, the issue of warning and potential prevention is foremost on my mind, as I try to grapple with what happened that night.
Perhaps the bigger picture of this horrible tragedy and the implications for theater security will become clear in the weeks and months to come; but at this moment, I can’t personally help to think how this could have been prevented or mitigated. We (not only as a business, but as a society) have the technology, the know-how, and the ability to at least mitigate these types of situation — and to do so simply, easily and inexpensively; so it absolutely confounds me that this shooting was able to run its course the way it did. It’s at least a good thing that the shooter’s gun jammed and hopefully prevented him from expanding his attack even further.
A major, yet simple component that comes to my mind is a simple door-open detector (either wired or easier-to-install wireless). These devices are even cheaper than the standalone emergency exit alarms that can be found in many retail outlets, and can integrate with other systems. We have installations that use these to monitor access to secure areas, already; so, I have no trouble envisioning a system in which an automatic door-open notice is sent to a Connections server, which can then automatically (and instantly) alert staff to a potential problem (at least to prevent theater hoppers from seeing free movies, I would think). What if someone in the box-office or some other staff had known that an exit door was suspiciously propped-open at the start of a movie? Wouldn’t they at least go shut it? I really cannot help but wonder if such a simple action, if in-place, may have helped mitigate or prevent this tragedy, altogether.
Also, most movie theaters use digital projectors, these days. What this suggests is that a warning message could conceivably be shown on the big screen, potentially just as easily as our Connections product can send video content to LCD screens. So, even if the shooting were allowed to begin in the first place, a system integrated into the digital projector could have at least instructed people in each of the individual theaters what to do (shelter in place or direct them to customized evacuation routes for each theater). On the other hand, perhaps a stand-alone dedicated device (like an LCD flat screen or LED sign board) might be better, in case patrons would confuse the message with the movie content. Either way, clear instructions are a “must.” According to witness accounts, the Aurora theater’s fire alarm system was activated very soon after the shootings began, prompting some to begin evacuating; but by some witnesses’ accounts, the assailant began to target people who were trying to evacuate. This is one example, if horrific, of why we need ways to communicate specific details and instructions (even if pre-defined), rather than simplistic notification alarms which have limited meaning.
As I said, perhaps a clearer picture will come out later, but it appears to me that if there were time to activate the fire alarm, there would have otherwise been enough time to activate a smarter emergency communication system that could have potentially saved lives. I firmly believe that with the available technology and know-how that exists these days, disasters like this can be lessened considerably or prevented altogether.
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.
The Benefits of Way-finding are Finally Being Realized
Have you ever noticed how practically nobody asks for directions anymore? And why should they? Directions or maps are literally at our fingertips these days. With smart phones, GPS, and online mapping software, I think most of us are now empowered to know how to get somewhere; I believe there’s also a certain mind-set that develops along with that. I think that people are now becoming so accustomed to this information being readily available that they never expect to get lost or be unable to find their way around.
So with this paradigm shift in mind, we’ve been developing a new feature for Connections which allows a MediaPort to display a map or floor-plan; on that, it will display egress routes in the form of a flashing line (straight or curved) with arrow. We’ve purposely left this feature as flexible as possible so that it can conceivably be used for nearly every type of situation. The really neat thing about this feature is that it’s location-aware — intelligent enough to know which LCD panel is being used, relative to a given floor-plan or map. Because of that, a single event can cause multiple LCD panels throughout a building or campus to each display their own locations (a map, literally with a “you are here” red X on it), with appropriate egress routes flashing, showing people where to go, specific to each location. It’s really something neat to see it working, in-person.
I think it’s obvious what kind of added value that might have for an existing safety and security system; but what about everyday use? One example immediately comes to mind: hospitals. Many hospitals have not had the luxury to be designed wholly from the ground-up. Instead, they are typically older buildings that have been repeatedly expanded and renovated over the years; as a result, they are virtual labyrinths. Just think how easy it would be if there were a digital sign at each fork and turn in the hallways, giving you personalized directions (literally with arrows) to your destination within the hospital. It might make all the difference in that first visit to someone’s hospital room or even just to find that great cafeteria food!
Well, we’re not quite there with that customized level of way-finding, yet — but we’re getting close. In the meantime though, Connections does currently support location-aware routing, which I think is a significant addition to Connection’s capabilities (and it’s fun to draw the routes, too).
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.
Common Easily Avoidable Errors (part 3)- Accidental Restrictions
The following tips are for current MessageNet users. If you aren’t a current user, feel free to keep reading to see the many ways MessageNet connections can work for you.
MessageNet Connections has different security classes of users, ranging from Manager level to basic. This allows one or more people to act as administrators of the system while preventing those with less experience or skill from accessing higher level features, with the lowest level users restricted to only sending and receiving messages. It’s the users in the middle that have the ability to accidentally put restrictions on messages, lists, or anything else they create.
Most features of MessageNet Connections can be restricted to a certain class of user and above, and often the default is MGR, or manager. If someone with a security class lower than manager but high enough to create messages creates a group, list, or message, or adds a device and accidentally leaves the security restriction set to MGR, only those users would be able to even see, let alone access or edit the new message or list or device. Only a MGR-class user would be able to change the class restriction. This mistake is really easy to make, especially if the default restriction is generally set to manager. It’s one I’ve made myself when I was first learning how to use Connections. So, if you create a message or anything else and then cannot locate it, there’s a possibility it was accidentally restricted to a class of user higher than yours.
The best way to deal with this problem is by double-checking that none of the restrictions are for a higher class of user before saving as new.
What’s in a Message?
There really is a lot more to a message than what one might typically think.
The typical everyday messaging we think about might include basics like phone calls, SMS text messages and emails. The common denominators of channels such as these include just a few basic aspects: sender, recipient, message, and perhaps subjects and/or attachments.
But what if, for example, you wanted to send a message to a team member about a task that needs to be done by 1pm? After 1pm, the message, as originally conceived, either becomes irrelevant or another totally different message needs to be sent. In this example, another aspect — say, expiration — comes into play.
Now, as another example, what if you are sending a message to multiple people — some of which may have hearing or visual challenges? Obviously emails or phones, alone, may not get your message across to all of your recipients. So, let’s add another aspect: media type (e.g. flashing lights, beeps, or text-to-speech).
Here’s a simple self-explanatory one, that no other solution has really seemed to address, but we all want: scheduled message sending! We even want to simply schedule a text-message on our phones from time to time, right? (at least, I know I do)
Within Connections’ message definition editor, a message can be defined in all of these ways, and more. In fact, this one single screen arguably has the most options of any other screen in our product… and for good reason.
I’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg, here; but suffice it to say, truly effective messaging needs to consider many more things than we are used to thinking about.
If you want to learn more, please take a look, particularly, at some of our case-study videos, in which existing customers explain the unique ways they use their Connections system, in real life.
Our features page also provides some insightful examples.
The MessageNet Connections software and licenses come with a no-risk, money-back guarantee. If you are unhappy with the software for any reason within 90 days of purchase, you may return the software for a full refund.