2021 Mass Notification

BUYER’S GUIDE
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction: Keeping Everyone Safe and Informed...........................................................................3

Why You Need Mass Notification.............................................................................................................4

What Are You Using For Notification?.....................................................................................................5

Securing Buy-In.............................................................................................................................................7

How Much Does It Cost?.............................................................................................................................8

Secure Your Budget.....................................................................................................................................9

Cost Saving Tips..........................................................................................................................................11

3 Mistakes to Avoid.................................................................................................................................... 12

12 Demo Questions................................................................................................................................... 13

The Limitations of Mobile Alerts............................................................................................................. 16

Calling vs. Broadcasting............................................................................................................................17

Will My Phones Work?...............................................................................................................................18

When Should You Implement?...............................................................................................................19

Network Requirements........................................................................................................................20

8 Questions to Ask Before Buying.....................................................................................................21

Find the Right Service Level.....................................................................................................................23

InformaCast Cost........................................................................................................................................25

Mass Notification System Comparison Worksheet...........................................................................27

Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................28

2
 INTRODUCTION

Keeping Everyone Safe and Informed

An organization’s top priority should always be its people, and to keep people safe
organizations need tools that enhance safety and communication. An emergency notification
system helps spread the word quickly to keep people safe and informed, but how do you
know which system will be the best fit for your organization?

As with any critical investment, it’s important to have all the facts before making a decision. In
this eBook, we will outline everything an organization needs to know about emergency
notification systems, and the questions they should be asking to make an informed
purchasing decision.

3
Why You Need Mass Notification
SPEED AND REACH
“How do you communicate with people during
an emergency?”

It’s a deceptively simple question, and you may

think you know the answer. Maybe your organization
has phones, or alarms, or email addresses. You
might use text messaging or panic buttons, but each
of these methods when used on their own are
unable to achieve the ultimate goal of
communicating during an emergency: reaching
everyone, quickly.

The bottom line is, one method of communication

is never going to be enough to guarantee everyone
is being reached. Getting “most” of your population
may seem sufficient, but would you want to be one of the few that doesn’t receive a critical message?

WHAT AN EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SYSTEM DOES

The abilities of any robust notification system should help improve the speed and reach of an
organization’s emergency messages. When a crisis situation occurs every second counts. Leaders don’t
want to waste time worrying about what kind of message they are going to craft or what people need to
be notified. A mass notification system can offer the ability to prebuild messages and groups so when an
event begins, messages can be sent with appropriate instructions that reach the right people.

A mass notification system can also tie into existing technology, minimizing the need to log into different
systems. This saves time and adds value to a connected network of devices that can include overhead
paging, digital signage, desktop computers, desk phones and mobile devices. With the press of a button,
each device can relay critical information, increasing the chances everyone receives the message.

ANSWERING THE “WHY”

Now you know what a mass notification system can do, but you still might not understand the “why”. For
any organization, the chance someone may miss a message that impacts their safety shouldn’t be an
acceptable outcome. Organizations have an obligation to provide a safe environment for the people that
come through that space as part of their duty of care, and need to take the proper steps to make sure that
space meets this expectation. It’s important to assess what measures your organization currently has in
place and what gaps you need to fill, because without the proper preparations, organizations are putting
themselves and their people at risk.

4
What Are You Using For Notification?
MASS NOTIFICATION METHODS
When looking for a mass notification solution, it’s helpful to take stock of the alerting tools that are already
in place. This is an important initial question as it can help better understand what’s currently working
and where they have gaps that need to be filled. Sometimes, you may not even consider certain tools
or processes “mass notification,” but every organization relies on communication to function. That’s why
it’s critical to identify the devices and methods used to share information to see how a mass notification
system can streamline processes and improve connectivity.

PAGING
Overhead paging systems can be a powerful tool for mass notification. Live audio delivered by a paging
system can penetrate a building and interrupt ongoing activities to grab people’s attention about a critical
event. However, there are also several drawbacks for organizations relying solely on paging to share safety
information. It often needs to be delivered live, requiring someone to be in front of a receiver to broadcast
their audio. This can sometimes be inconvenient and time-consuming, especially in larger buildings or
campuses. Crucial seconds can be lost simply trying to get to the system before a message can be shared.

It also puts pressure on the person delivering the message. Due to the urgency of the event taking place,
their message may be rushed, leading to confusion or even panic. While live audio can give up-to-the-
minute updates, using a mass notification tool tied to your paging system can deliver prerecorded audio
that is calm, clear and concise. This audio can also be activated using a variety of triggers, that do not
require an administrator to be in front of the system.

PHONE CALLS
Another method organizations use to communicate messages is calling their people directly. This is often
done using a phone tree, where people are responsible for passing a message along to others, or it can
fall on the shoulders of a sole individual. This comes with a host of issues, from having an incorrect phone
number, to being unable to confirm that everyone was called. Not to mention, it is unnecessarily time-
consuming. If you’re a part of a large organization using a bulk dialing system with a recorded message,
placing too many phone calls simultaneously can be seen as an attack and result in a denial of services,
preventing calls from going through.

With a mass notification system, phones can become powerful tools for alerting people about emergencies.
On-premises phones that utilize multicast streaming can act as endpoints for audio pages, meaning audio
gets delivered directly and simultaneously to everyone in your organization. Phones can also be used to
trigger notifications, using speed dials or preconfigured buttons on desk phones. This can greatly speed up
the amount of time it takes to notify people about an event.

5
What Are You Using For Notification? (cont.)
EMAIL
For some organizations, email may seem like a quicker way to get the word out, but it overlooks a major
issue. With email, there is no immediacy for your recipients. If a threat is imminent, like an active shooter,
you don’t want to risk people ignoring your message, which is all too easy to do when it comes to email.
Effective mass notifications get people to stop what they are doing and pay attention. Email can be good
for less immediate notification needs, and as a component of a larger mass notification plan, but on its
own, it is an insufficient method for communicating pertinent safety information.

DESKTOP POP-UPS
Desktop pop-ups are another popular option for notification, especially in businesses, hospitals and
education settings. For organizations where people are spending large chunks of times at a computer, this
is a good way to reach them with an alert that can interrupt whatever they are using their computer for.
However, there are similar issues with using this as a sole means for mass notification. If people are away
from their desk or not using their computer, they won’t receive the message. Some desktop notifications
also do not offer the option of utilizing sound broadcast from a computer’s speakers. While a colorful text
pop-up may be sufficient, adding audio can be a good way to ensure people are aware a message has
been sent. But just as you would not want to use email as your only method of mass notification, neither
should desktop pop-ups be the only way you alert people. Mass notification systems can trigger desktop
alerts and alerts to other devices so even if someone is away from their desk, they know an event is taking
place.

MASS SMS TEXT MESSAGING

Many organizations rely on mass SMS text solutions for their notification needs. On the surface, this can
seem like the perfect solution. Many people have their phones on them at all times, so being able to deliver
a message directly to those devices can help quickly make them aware of a situation. But there can be a
number of reasons people don’t receive a message, from
having a phone on silent to the wrong phone number being
inputted into a system. That’s why it’s important to combine
mobile messaging with on-premises notification to help
ensure you reach as close to 100 percent of your desired
population with a mass notification as possible. The more
channels and formats you use, the less likely it is someone
will miss a message.
There may be other methods and devices you are using to alert people, but without a mass notification
system serving as a backbone to connect everything and alert people on-premises and while they are
mobile, you are missing an opportunity to enhance the speed and reach of your emergency messages.
Achieve a better ROI on your existing tools and build a better alerting ecosystem with help from a mass
notification solution.

6
Securing Buy-In
SAFETY IS EVERYONE’S CONCERN
Understanding who is in charge when it comes to implementing a new safety solution can be challenging.
Sometimes it’s security, other times facilities, and still others it falls on IT if the solution is a piece of
technology that needs to be integrated throughout an organization. People are any organization’s number
one asset, and protecting them should be a top priority. That’s why it’s important to engage multiple
departments to help share the responsibility, and ultimately build a more comprehensive safety plan.

EMERGENCY SCENARIO PLANNING

Implementing a mass notification system relies on understanding how it is going to be used within your
organization. Engaging multiple departments will help your organization understand all of the emergency
scenarios it may encounter, and how a mass notification system will be used. This is a very detailed process
that involves mapping out who is authorized to send the alert, what method they are using to send the
alert, what the text/audio/image content is and which group(s) will receive the alerts and on which devices.
It’s also important to map out the desired result of the alert and how an ongoing scenario will be managed.

A flexible mass notification system will allow you to configure message delivery to different groups. Certain
events may require you to alert an entire organization, while others may only need you to alert a small
group who can then spread the word and manage a situation. Having multiple departments involved in this
process will ensure the right people receive the right information to begin coordinating a response.

FEATURE ADOPTION, INTEGRATION AND IMPLEMENTATION

During your scenario planning, it’s also important to take stock of the features available with your mass
notification system. While it may not be prudent to implement every feature at the same time, assessing
which features will be the most useful will help your organization take advantage of the safety benefits a
mass notification system can provide.

Robust notification systems offer a wide range of features and integrations. Audio and text notification,
emails, panic button configuration and triggering, 911 alerting, automatic severe weather updates and
more, can all be put into use for emergency notification. Integration with IP speakers, desk phones, mobile
devices, desktop computers, digital signage, and other devices, helps build a connected mass notification
ecosystem. Representatives from different departments should know all of the options available and
provide input into what will work best. Knowing what features will have the biggest impact and what devices
will receive notification messages gives your organization a more well-rounded safety strategy.

Once your scenarios are planned, your organization will be ready to deploy its new system. Having
multiple departments be a part of the buying and implementation process will help make this easier. The
more familiar people are with the system, and the more knowledge they have about what alerting options
are available, the less confusion there will be when the system is rolled out.

7
How Much Does It Cost?
FINDING THE BEST VALUE
An emergency notification system is a significant investment for any organization.
While safety and security should always be a top priority, the cost of implementing
a system like this will always be a critical factor. But what differentiates various
emergency notification vendors and how does that impact pricing?

We can’t provide a detailed rundown of pricing for every emergency notification vendor out there; as you
probably already know, there are quite a few. Here, we will outline the factors that can raise or lower the
cost of an emergency notification system, and the questions to ask to ensure you’re getting the best value.

WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO?

First and foremost, you need to understand what your organization is trying to accomplish. Is it trying to
fulfill a government requirement? If so, there may be very specific functions you need to consider,
regardless of how much they cost. Are you trying to reach people within a specific area, or wherever they
are? This will have a big impact on price. Mobile solutions are often less expensive, but what you gain in
dollars, you lose in functionality and reach.

It’s important to take an apples-to-apples approach when comparing emergency notification systems. Two
solutions may have the same price, but it’s important to look deeper to see exactly what functionality each
offers. Does it only send SMS text messages? Or can it go beyond that and also send emails, push
notifications and phone calls? What are the situation management capabilities of the system, including
message confirmation, escalation and reporting? You can see how even though the price may be the same,
the value is much different.

KEEPING COSTS DOWN

If you’re looking at an inexpensive mobile solution, be sure to consider the two most important factors:
speed and reach. Sending bulk SMS text messages is of limited effectiveness because you’re only
leveraging one way of communicating with people. You may supplement this with another communication
tool, but now you’ve invested in two solutions, and it may take twice as long to get you message out.

It’s always a good idea to look for emergency notification systems that can integrate with your existing
technology. Whether it’s IP phones, IP speakers, desktop computers or some other piece of technology,
you can get more bang for your buck by connecting with what you already own. This keeps the cost down
and ties everything together. Be sure to ask the EMNS vendor to demonstrate integration capabilities and
look for how the systems are managed.

Ideally, you want to look for a solution that can reach as many people as possible, as quickly as possible.
This won’t always be the least expensive option, but safety should always be the chief concern.

8
Secure Your Budget?
SECURE YOUR MASS NOTIFICATION SYSTEM BUDGET
Selecting a mass notification system can be daunting. First, you need to find the solution that is the best fit
for your organization, then you need to implement it. But between those steps, you need to find the money
to pay for this new safety tool. While safety is of the utmost importance in most organizations, a large price
tag can sometimes be a hurdle too challenging to overcome.

However, with the right approach, you can make this

process less of a headache, and more of an opportunity
to emphasize the need for a tool that can reach everyone
during an emergency.

DEFINE GOALS AND ROI

In this ebook, we’ve already answered the most important
question, “Why does our organization need a mass notification
system?” Having this answer will help you outline the goals
you wish to achieve and the ROI that can be expected. Goals
can include how many people and devices your organization wants to be able to reach and how quickly
you want to be able to reach them. Goals may also relate to fulfilling certain government guidelines or
how efficiently safety drills can be conducted. Spend some time brainstorming 5-10 goals and how a mass
notification system can accomplish them.

Determining ROI can be a more difficult task. It’s hard to provide a direct correlation between revenue and
a safety tool, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Understand what current capabilities can be measured
and tracked and how you will compare those analytics once the solution is implemented. Also, be aware
of the impact on continuity. Emergency situations have a tendency to disrupt operations, and how big of
an effect that interruption has depends on how quickly you can get back up and running. A key metric to
consider is how much revenue would be lost each day if business were interrupted.

FOCUS ON BENEFITS
Safety and communication are the two key reasons most organizations look to implement a mass
notification system. Understand what measures are currently in place, and provide details about how
situations are managed. Know how people are reached and what devices and systems are used to reach
them.

It’s also important to highlight how a mass notification system can improve this process. Maybe you need
to log into too many different systems, which wastes time. Maybe your systems and devices can’t speak to
one another. It might be that people are too often missed when alerts go out, or there isn’t a way to group
different alerts. The mass notification system you are considering should have specific and demonstrable
benefits that address whatever issues your organization is experiencing.
9
Secure Your Budget (cont.)
WALK THROUGH SCENARIOS
Providing people with concrete, hypothetical
scenarios can help better illustrate the benefits a
mass notification system offers. You may be trying to
convince people who have no idea how this process
currently works in your organization, so giving a
detailed, step-by-step walk-through will help educate
them about current obstacles. Pick a scenario that
would have a large impact on operations and will
leave an impression with the people who have control
of your budget. This might be as extreme as an active
shooter, or as routine as a severe weather closing.
Whichever event you choose as an example, it should
be relatable to the audience you are speaking with.

Then, go through that same scenario, but explain how the process would work with a mass notification
system. Call out differences between the current set up, and how safety and communication will lead to
better outcomes should this scenario occur.

BRING IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS

We’ve already discussed how safety should be everyone’s concern within an organization. When it comes
to budgeting, having IT, security, HR or some other department involved can help sway decision-makers
and defer costs by pulling resources from multiple areas. Different departments will have different insights
they can share about the current procedures and tools in places, and what is needed to improve them.
The more people that are invested in the success of your organization’s safety operations, the better your
planning and deployment will be as well.

SIMPLIFY
Chances are, when looking to secure your budget for
this project, you’ll be speaking with people who may
not even understand the term “mass notification
system,” much less the higher-level technical terms
associated with it. Simplify your arguments as much
as possible to keep ideas and solutions grounded
in a way that everyone can comprehend. This will
invite dialogue about the solution you are considering
and prevent people from tuning out due to too
much jargon.

10
Cost Saving Tips
DISCOVER YOUR OPTIONS
Safety initiatives can be expensive. It’s a simple and unfortunate truth that the tools that help organizations
protect their people often come with a hefty price tag. When it comes to mass notification systems,
organizations can sometimes see the cost as a barrier to implementation, or they go with a less expensive
solution that doesn’t offer the features their organization needs to truly reach everyone.

So how do they get the best value without sacrificing functionality?

PRIORITIZE SAFETY
No one wants to put a dollar figure on a human life,
but organizations have finite resources to complete
projects. If your organization is running into issues,
take a step back and consider the bigger picture. A
mass notification system may seem like a large
upfront cost, but take into account the costs you may
incur if an emergency takes place. Without the right
tools, people may miss important safety messages.
If you can’t efficiently coordinate a response, people
may be harmed. This could expose your organization
to much higher costs than the safety tool that could
prevent these things from happening.

LOOK AT WHAT YOU ALREADY OWN

When looking to save money, start by assessing the equipment you already own. Desk phones, IP speakers,
desktop computers, digital signage and mobile devices can all be used to help spread critical safety
messages. Costs grow when organizations need to purchase and install new equipment on top of a mass
notification system. Look for a mass notification system that offers flexible integration options that will
allow you to avoid purchasing new equipment. This will also add value to devices in which you’ve already
invested.

CONSIDER DIFFERENT SERVICE LEVELS

When considering different solutions, it’s important to assess your needs. Understand how you need to
reach people and what kind of messages you need to send. Solutions are often licensed by user or devices,
so you should also take stock of how many you’ll need to adequately reach everyone in your organization.

Mass notification vendors often offer different service levels and license packages to meet the needs of
their customers. Selecting the right one will keep you from spending money on features and licenses your
organization won’t use.

11
3 Mistake To Avoid
GETTING EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED
With an emergency notification system, it is important to be confident in your purchase. You want to know
that messages are reaching as many people as possible. Since safety in such a high priority, we’ve put
together a list of the top three mistakes to avoid when evaluating and purchasing an emergency mass
notification system.

NOT REQUIRING A THOROUGH DEMONSTRATION

It can seem like all the information you need about a product is
available on a vendor’s website. However, a thorough
demonstration can add a better level of understanding to what
a product is capable of doing. If the vendor says, “it can do that”,
then ask them to show it.

This is especially true when reviewing on-premises notification

functionality. This is because most EMNS vendors are built
around a cloud-based delivery model, or notification-as-a-service.
For most of them, it’s not standard to reach communication devices inside your network, such as desk
phones, computer desktops, overhead paging systems and digital signage. They may be able to do it
through a third party integration, but it’s not something they do natively. That means demonstrating it isn’t
easy. Ask to see it. This will separate the contenders from the pretenders.

PURCHASING BECAUSE OTHER GROUPS USE IT FOR BULK SMS TEXT MESSAGING
You may know of an emergency notification product used by a nearby local government entity and think,
since it works well for them, it will work well for your organization. Notifying citizens of a city or county is
a worthwhile and necessary service, but these types of systems are often centered around bulk SMS text
messaging. Comparing these public notification systems to mass notification solutions for a business,
school or hospital is really comparing apples and oranges. Why? Because any system used by a business,
school or hospital should be doing more than bulk SMS text messaging. You want to reach as close to 100
percent of your people in one minute or less, and with bulk SMS text messaging, that simply isn’t possible.

NOT UNDERSTANDING WHAT’S INCLUDED AND WHAT’S EXTRA

The distinction between what a system does and what it can do isn’t always clear. This is another instance
of when an EMNS vendor says, “we can do that,” you need to make them back up what they are saying.
They may not be lying in the strictest sense of the word, but they’re not being exactly forthright. They may
be able to make this functionality happen with a statement of work for professional services and/or
custom software development, but this is really something you need to know up front, before signing a
service agreement. Getting this clarified can be the difference between making your budget or going over.

12
12 Demo Questions
ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS, GET THE RIGHT SOLUTION
If you’re investing in a new piece of technology, a critical part of the decision-making process is seeing how
it works. A demo offers valuable insight into what a tool can do and how it can fit in your organization.

However, limited time and lack of preparation can hinder this process. Questions can be forgotten or
glossed over, leading to organizations selecting the wrong solution. When it comes to a mass notification
system, this can be particularly harmful if it doesn’t offer the functions you need to keep people safe.

Use these 12 questions to guide your decision-making process when selecting a mass notification solution.

DOES THE SYSTEM REACH

ON-PREMISES AND MOBILE DEVICES?
Managing multiple systems for the same end goal
is a pain, and relying on one channel to communicate
a message rarely does a sufficient job alerting all of
your people. When it comes to emergency notification,
you want to be able to reach as many people as possible,
as quickly as possible, and that means reaching every
available device. A solution that can send alerts to
on-premises and mobile devices, and can manage those
alerts from the same interface, means you can send more
alerts, more quickly, with more consistent messaging than
using multiple systems.

DOES IT BROADCAST TO DESK PHONES, OR DOES IT CALL THEM?

This distinction may not seem important, but during a crisis, it can make all the difference. Some systems
may claim that they can reach your desk phones, but how they reach those devices is important. Sending
a large number of phone calls can be seen as an attack, resulting in a denial of service. Broadcasting to
a desk phone treats the device as a speaker, meaning simultaneous intrusive audio catches people’s
attention and is less likely to fail than calling.

CAN YOU SHOW ME HOW THE SYSTEM DOES A LIVE-AUDIO BROADCAST?

Live audio can sometimes be the best way to get people’s attention, especially during an emergency. Pre-
recorded messages may be fine to let people know an event is taking place, but being able to communicate
messages live helps manage ongoing situations. It’s also important to understand where audio can be
delivered. Desk phones and speakers are great, but additional delivery systems like desktop notifications
help expand the reach of the message.

13
12 Demo Questions (cont.)
HOW DOES IT HANDLE WEATHER ALERTS?
Every organization is susceptible to severe weather. Any emergency notification system should be able to
address this basic use case, but how it addresses it can have a major impact on how quickly notifications
go out. If a system only lets you pre-build messages for weather events, without a means to automatically
trigger, you could waste precious minutes before sending out an alert. Systems offering configurations to
actively monitor CAP feeds to trigger alerts when severe weather approaches means people are notified
more quickly and can start responding faster.

CAN THE SYSTEM BE CONFIGURED

FOR PANIC BUTTON TRIGGERS?
Panic buttons are in high demand because
they offer a discreet, quick way to ask for
assistance. Systems that offer multiple methods
for panic button configurations, whether it’s
virtual ones established on a desk phone, or
integration with physical devices, can make
notification as easy as pressing a button. Know
what options are available to take advantage of
easy alert triggering.

HOW DOES IT COMPARE TO OTHER SYSTEMS?

If you’re looking at other systems, don’t be afraid to ask the vendor directly how it compares to the
competition. They should be able to answer directly then and there the difference between their offering
and a competitor’s.

DOES IT WORK WITH OTHER SYSTEMS AND DEVICES?

If the answer is no, chances are, this isn’t the right solution for you. Robust notification systems offer a wide
range of integrations with devices and systems organizations already have in place. This provides additional
value to existing technology investments like paging systems. There may not be time to go through every
compatible device and system, but be sure to have a few key components top of mind to ask the vendor
about during the demo.

WHAT KIND OF SUPPORT DO YOU OFFER?

While you’re likely looking for a simple solution, no matter how easy a system appears, it may require some
help to set up. Understand how support requests are handled, when help is available and what level of
support is offered. It may also be beneficial to ask if they have any customer comments that can back up
the effectiveness of their support team.

14
12 Demo Questions (cont.)
WHAT KIND OF COLLABORATION OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE?
Sending out an alert is just part of the challenge when an emergency occurs. Managing the situation can be
just as important to keep people out of harm’s way. A system that offers collaboration tools like conference
calling and confirmation response help bring key people together to manage potentially dangerous
situations.

ARE THERE OTHER CUSTOMERS THAT HAVE USED IT THIS WAY?

No one wants to be a guinea pig when testing out new safety features, so it’s important to ask a vendor for
examples of other customers using the system in the way you want to use it. It’s easy for a vendor to say
“yes” to a potential use case, but having evidence to back it up will help assure you that you are making the
right decision.

HOW QUICKLY CAN I IMPLEMENT IT?

Finding the right solution takes time and money, so you likely don’t want to waste either once you’ve made
a decision. This answer will likely vary depending on the size of the implementation, so it’s not something
many vendors will advertise. However, by the time the demo takes place, the vendor should have a good
idea of the size of your organization and your needs to be able to provide at least a rough estimate for
implementation.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

Depending on where you are in the decision-making process, you may already have an answer to this
question. However, make sure there aren’t any additional costs you or the vendor may have missed.

15
The Limitations of Mobile Alerts
WHY SETTLING FOR LESS ISN’T AN OPTION
The emergency mass notification industry is largely centered around sending bulk SMS text messages to
mobile phones. Maybe your organization is already using this kind of tool to send mass messages. It’s a
necessary component of an emergency mass notification system, but by itself, it’s insufficient. Research
done at Western Washington University shows that mobile notifications are only ~80 percent effective.
That may sound ok, but what if you’re one of the 20 percent that didn’t receive an alert? What if that alert
contained critical information about an active shooter, or the need to take shelter from an approaching
storm? Would your organization still think 80 percent was good enough?

Many factors can prevent mobile notifications from reaching 100 percent of their intended audience. Some
organizations don’t have everyone’s phone numbers in the system. Mobile phones are often on silent or
otherwise out of sight. Sometimes it’s as simple as being in a building with poor cellular coverage.

COMBAT INEFFECTIVE NOTIFICATIONS

The key to achieving 100 percent reach is to
supplement mobile mass notification with
additional communication methods, such as
in-building notifications, specifically audio and
visual broadcasts to existing overhead paging
public address systems, desktop alerts,
digital signage and desktop phones. Using
multiple channels, i.e. in-building
communications as well as mobile notifications,
has the added benefit of increasing the sense
of urgency perceived by the recipient.

Some systems will also utilize GPS to establish

an area of interest for emergency notifications.
Using GPS coordinates, you can define an area
that can include an entire campus or whatever
area you think is pertinent. Then, using the GPS
in people’s mobile phones, you can configure the system to send alerts to everyone inside that area, or be
alerted when someone (like faculty) or something (approaching severe weather) enters the area.

By combining in-building notification methods with mobile notifications, your critical alerts will be received
far faster and will reach much closer to 100 percent of your desired population. Achieving the highest level
of speed and reach should be the goal of any mass notification system.

16
Calling vs. Broadcasting
AVOID FAILED CALLS
Occasionally, we hear how other mass notification providers claim they can reach desk phones by placing a
call through their telephone. This may seem like a simple solution, but the hidden complications can have
severe consequences.

Several factors will contribute to large

numbers of simultaneous calls failing to
get through; the most common being
trunking capacity. This is the number of
phone lines that are connected from a
phone system to the outside world.

Very few organizations (businesses,

schools, hospitals, etc.) pay for an active
outside phone line for every phone. The
typical ratio is four phones for every
outside line. That means, when a mass notification service provider tries to call all of an organization’s
phones at once, 75 percent of these calls will be blocked due to lack of trunking capacity. If the mass notifi-
cation system is smart enough, it will try repeatedly until it reaches every phone. However, a lot of time will
have passed while those calls are being placed, which is far from ideal if an emergency is unfolding. And if
all of the trunking capacity is being used, no outbound phone calls can be made to 911 or anywhere else.

Even if an organization had trunk capacity for 100 percent of its people, most phone systems would
perceive hundreds or thousands of simultaneous phone calls as a denial of service attack. Their response
would be to block many of these calls.

BROADCASTING RELIEVES THE PRESSURE

Emergency notification systems that utilize broadcasting are able to overcome the challenges of calling.
Using a single multicast audio stream across the internal network allows phones to play the audio stream
via their speakers or the handset. This uses zero phone trunk capacity. There is no need for the end user
to answer the phone because the audio is automatically broadcast via the speakerphone.

Consider an enterprise-class emergency notification system that reaches mobile phones and on-premises
devices like Cisco phones, computer desktops, overhead paging and digital signage, all with the press of a
button, and without using any phone trunk capacity.

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Will My Phones Work?
THE BIG QUESTION
A mass notification system should be easy to use and work well with an organization’s other existing
technology. That’s why we’ve built our InformaCast emergency notification software to work with Cisco
phones many organizations already have in place. InformaCast works with many different Cisco phones
and we offer a full list of compatible models. But we’re often asked, “Can I still use InformaCast if I don’t
have Cisco phones?”

The short answer is yes. However, there will be some differences in functionality. First, the InformaCast
Advanced notification system will not send broadcasts to non-Cisco phones. That being said, there are still
plenty of features available to handle intruder alerts, automated emergency weather notification, panic
buttons, internet of things integration and more.

With non-Cisco phones, InformaCast is able to send a mass notification to computer desktops, digital
signage, analog overhead paging systems, InformaCast-compatible IP speakers, e-mail and mobile phones
(via InformaCast Mobile). To trigger a mass notification from a non-Cisco phone system, a SIP trunk must
be configured between the phone system and InformaCast. Also, the CallAware feature for 911 alerting will
only work on Cisco phone systems.

THE MOBILE OPTION

The other option is to look at InformaCast Mobile. While InformaCast Advanced connects to endpoints,
InformaCast Mobile loads user information that can include mobile phone numbers and email addresses.
So regardless of what kind of landline phones your organization is using, you can reach people directly on
their mobile devices through push notifications via the InformaCast Mobile app, SMS text messages, emails
or phones calls. While we advocate organizations using as many communication methods as possible to
share information, if your people are often away from their desks, InformaCast Mobile can reach them on
their mobile phones.

BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER

If your organization needs to utilize on-premises and mobile devices to reach people, InformaCast Fusion
combines the functionalities of InformaCast Mobile and Advanced in a single platform. You can manage
messages and send to desktop computers, digital signage, IP speakers, mobile devices and more to achieve
the speed and reach needed to keep people informed during a crisis. The single interface minimizes the
need to log in and out of different systems, drastically decreasing the time it takes to reach your people.

Fusion has the added benefit of being able to reach non-Cisco desk phones. Through multicast streaming,
you can now send a notification’s audio to any device (e.g. Polycom, Yealink, etc.) capable of listening for,
then playing, audio sent over a multicast IP address and port. This offers the most flexible option for
organizations looking to deploy InformaCast

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When Should You Implement?
IMPLEMENTING A MASS NOTIFICATION TOOL
You may already be aware that a mass notification system can help keep your people safe and informed,
but implementing one often ends up getting pushed back on a “to-do” list for a number of reasons. Limited
financial resources, staffing commitments, and general lack of knowledge can all slow down the selection
and implementation process. This often leads to organizations implementing a solution only after they have
gone through an incident and experienced backlash due to poor communication during a critical event.

The truth is, the timing is likely never going to be perfect, but the best time to implement a solution
is before an incident ever has a chance to occur. Without the right tools, you can experience serious
interruptions to daily operations and business continuity, not to mention the potential physical harm that
your people may experience. A mass notification tool can help you fulfill your duty of care, prepare for
emergency events, and notify everyone with critical safety information to keep them out of harm’s way.

MAKE IT EASY
Often the biggest implementation obstacle is time. It takes time to get the system up and running, and to
find the right system for your organization. It’s important to work with a vendor that is going to make it easy
for you to understand how their solutions work, how much it will cost, and how it can best be deployed in
your environment.

Singlewire Software offers an on-demand video demo, easy to navigate product features, and pricing listed
right on our website. While we like to interact directly with potential customers, schedules can sometimes
be restricting. Making these resouces readily available helps speed up the research process so we can have
meaningful, productive conversations when the time is right.

FIND A MONEY-SAVING SOLUTION

To help pay for a solution, you should look at the total costs associated with implementing a mass
notification system. In some cases, the cost of the software is compounded when organizations realize
they also need to purchase compatible hardware. Finding software that works with existing technology
an organization has in place can save money and add value to those devices and systems. Organizations
can also add value by finding everyday uses for a mass notification system, like automating systems or
announcements.

And just as organizations should not wait to implement a system, they also should not settle for cost-
effective solutions that may not reach everyone who needs a message. The costs associated with downtime
or a lawsuit can be far greater than the initial cost of a mass notification system. Be sure to find a solution
that has the greatest likelihood of reaching everyone during an emergency by leveraging multiple devices
and message formats.

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Network Requirements
MINIMIZE STARTUP TIME
When people ask us what the network requirements
are for InformaCast, we know what they are really
asking is, “How much work is it going to take to
integrate this in my organization?”

It’s a fair question, especially when it comes to a

component as critical as a mass notification system.
No one wants to spend all their time setting up a
system; they want to plug it in and get it working.

We try and make InformaCast as easy as possible to set up and start using, but as with any new technology,
how smoothly the setup process goes relies on a number of factors.

USING COMPATIBLE TECHNOLOGY

Before you begin, be sure to consult our online compatibility matrix to understand what technology your
organization needs to have in place to work with InformaCast. Singlewire Software is a Cisco partner and
our InformaCast emergency notification system is compatible with many different Cisco phone models and
versions of CUCM. You’ll want to make sure your organization has VMware and that the version you are
running is supported. Also, take a look at our ecosystem partners, to see what other devices can be tied
into InformaCast.

RUNNING MULTICAST
To realize the full benefits of InformaCast, multicast must be enabled. Multicast is a technology that allows
traffic to scale across a network. InformaCast puts a single multicast audio stream on a network that any
endpoint can request, which allows InformaCast to scale a broadcast to thousands of devices quickly and
efficiently. If your organization is not running multicast, you can also look at using a paging gateway.

Different InformaCast features utilize different network ports to ensure traffic will route and firewalls will be
configured correctly. You can learn more by reading our online port manifest.

HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS
Once multicast is running and you know your phones will work with InformaCast, it is also a good idea to
look at the hardware requirements. It is necessary to deploy InformaCast on hardware supported by
VMware ESXi because it provides the lowest overhead of the VMware products.

These are the minimal requirements your organization needs to have in place to run InformaCast. If you
have more questions, please reach out to our sales team or browse the Resources section of our website.

20
8 Questions to Ask Before Buying
PURCHASING QUESTIONS
When looking for a mass notification solution, many organizations struggle with where to begin. This can
make the purchasing process more frustrating and time-consuming than it needs to be. With preparation,
you can find the right solution to enhance safety and communication in your organization. To help with this,
we’ve compiled eight questions you should answer before purchasing a mass notification system.

1. What problem are you trying to solve?

This is an important place to start because without this answer you can’t know what to look for in a mass
notification tool. You may have been told this is simply something your organization “needs” without getting
more details as to why. Taking that extra step to gather more details will give you a better sense of what
tools will be the right fit. It may be that you need to fulfill a certain legal requirement, or that you don’t have
a way to reach all of your people during an emergency. Once you begin to understand these factors you
can look more closely at the features that will help those problems.

2. What situations do you need to prepare for?

In addition to understanding the problems you need to solve, you also want to think about the problems
your organization may need to solve. For example, you may need a tool to help send severe weather alerts,
but can you alert people about an active shooter situation? Medical emergency? Chemical spill?

A mass notification system should not be a single-use solution; it should be the backbone of your entire
communications plan. To get the most out of your investment, you need a flexible tool that will help
address any emergency situation you may encounter and can be used for non-emergency scenarios.

3. What are you currently using for mass notification?

We addressed this question in greater detail earlier in this guide, but it’s important to look at the tools you
use to communicate. Even if they don’t fit into the typical definition of mass notification, your organization
has ways to reach people. Conducting an audit of the tools and processes already in place can help you
select the correct solution. You will understand if you have too many disparate devices and systems and if
you should be looking for a solution that will tie them together. This can also help your organization save
time and money in the long run by investing in a system that integrates with existing equipment.

4. Who needs to be involved?

To help identify the problems you are trying to solve and the technology you already have in place
may require you to expand the number of people involved in the decision-making process. Safety is
everyone’s concern, so determining the right solution should not fall on one person or department. It
takes collaboration among upper-level management and administrators, security personnel, facilities
managers, IT and HR to fully comprehend what is needed to improve communication and safety within an
organization. With this information, you can develop a more comprehensive list of needs.

21
8 Questions to Ask Before Buying
5. What do you need?
Do you want to leverage existing communication channels to deliver the message, like IP phones, IP
speakers, mobile devices, desktop computers, and digital signage? Do you need to be able to reach people
on-premises and when they are mobile? Do you need to use audio and text messages and well as visual
elements to ensure everyone sees and hears critical safety information? Do you need to be able to reach
everyone with the push of a button? Do you need to be able to customize your messages? Do you need
to automatically launch conference calls and other collaboration channels to manage your response to a
situation? Every organization is different, so take time answering these questions to cover all of your bases.

6. Who will operate the system?

Once you decide on a system to buy, you need to determine who will be responsible for running it. This
can sometimes be challenging as different groups may want different levels of involvement. One team may
need to be in charge of day-to-day maintenance, while another is in responsible for triggering messages.
You’ll need people who can educate the rest of your organization that a new system is in place and explain
how it works. You’ll also need to put people in charge of testing the system to ensure it is working. It’s
important you answer these questions upfront to help get the most out of your implementation.

7. How will you pay for it?

How to pay for a new technology is often the biggest challenge for organizations. They know they need a
solution, but don’t know where the money will come from. Further complicating this part of the process is
the fact that many mass notification vendors do not make pricing information readily available, meaning
you may get pretty far in your decision-making process before you get a full idea of how much it will cost. If
it’s too expensive, you’ve wasted valuable time and energy researching a tool that’ not be viable.

You can overcome this challenge in a number of ways. One is to be forward-thinking. A mass notification
system may seem like a big investment at face value but consider what kind of costs your organization
could incur if someone is harmed because you did not have the right tool in place to alert them about
an emergency. The second is to find a tool that can integrate with existing technology, which can help
you get better ROI on your investments in other equipment. Finally, by bringing in people from multiple
departments, you may have the opportunity to draw on multiple budgets to purchase your system. This
alleviates the burden of placing the entire investment on one department’s budget and helps other
departments have more of a stake in the implementation’s success.

8. Who can you learn from?

Chances are, all of the previous questions have already been answered by someone else. When working
with a vendor ask if they have similar organizations already using the tool you are considering. Consult
with other members of your team as they may have connections that can recommend solutions and
best practices. This will help better inform your purchasing decision and prepare you for a successful
implementation.

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Find the Right Service Level
FINDING THE BEST SOLUTION FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION
It’s important that the mass notification solution you choose does everything you need. Our InformaCast
emergency notification software is available at four different service levels: Basic, Advanced, Mobile and
Fusion. Each has a unique set of capabilities to cater to a variety of different needs.

DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION HAVE CISCO IP PHONES?

As a Cisco Technology Developer Partner, our InformaCast software comes pre-built into Cisco IP phones.
With Cisco phones, organizations have automatic access to InformaCast Basic, which can be used for live
paging for up to 50 phones. Having Cisco phones is also the best foundation for using InformaCast
Advanced.

DO YOU NEED TO REACH LARGE GROUPS OF PEOPLE SIMULTANEOUSLY?

We live in uncertain times, and it’s important for organizations to fulfill their Duty of Care by preparing for
any type of situation they may encounter. The needs of your organization will vary depending on its size
and industry, but there are a few foundational questions to consider that apply to any group.

When an emergency occurs, how are you communicating with your people? Each InformaCast service level
offers different ways to send mass notifications to large groups of people. For larger organizations with
other communication technologies, InformaCast Advanced expands the capabilities of InformaCast Basic
to reach all on-premises devices with live and recorded audio messages. It can send to IP speakers, digital
signage, desktop computers and more to fully leverage existing technology by turning each piece into a
powerful emergency notification tool.

If your organization consists of people who are frequently outside of your facilities, or your facilities are
spread across a wide area, being able to reach people on their mobile devices is critical. InformaCast
Mobile features a mobile app and web console to administer and send mass notifications. Notifications can
be sent as emails, SMS text messages and push notifications directly to mobile devices. Mobile notifications
can also ask for a confirmation response to know who needs assistance during a crisis, and the mobile
tracking feature can pinpoint the location of those asking for help.

23
Find the Right Service Level (cont.)

However, if your organization wants to offer complete speed and reach to ensure that every device is being
utilized to share critical information in the event of an emergency, InformaCast Fusion is the best solution.
In one interface, you can manage multiple message templates and groups and connect with both on-
premises and mobile devices. It offers all the capabilities of InformaCast Advanced and InformaCast Mobile
in a single package, and minimizes the need to log into different systems to send messages. It also offers
automatic updates, so your organization will always be using the latest features.

When an emergency occurs, it is vital that information that keeps people safe spreads as quickly as
possible. Using InformaCast Fusion offers the best option for tying all systems together and achieving
maximum reach for your messages.

WILL THIS BE A CAPITAL OR OPERATIONAL EXPENSE?

Beyond the capabilities of each of the service levels, there is also a difference on how each is sold.
Depending on your organization, this kind of investment may need to be a capital expense or an
operational expense. This will impact what level is right for you. As an operational expense, InformaCast
Advanced, Mobile and Fusion are sold as subscription-based licenses. However, for a capital expense,
Advanced is the only option that is sold as a perpetual license.

Visit our website to learn more about the full capabilities available with each InformaCast service level.

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InformaCast Cost
COST-EFFECTIVE EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION
We’ve always preferred speaking with potential customers to understand their needs and give them the
best idea of what implementing InformaCast would cost. Because, like many other vendors, the pricing is
going to fluctuate due to a variety of different factors. While that is still the case, we understand that
today’s consumers like to have as much information as possible before making a purchasing decision.
We’ve put together this pricing guide to provide an estimate of how much customers can expect to pay for
our various InformaCast Service Levels.

UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCE

InformaCast is available in four service levels, and it’s important to know what each one can do before
discussing how much each costs. InformaCast Basic allows organizations with Cisco IP phones to send a
live-audio page to up to 50 phones at once. This is a free solution included with Cisco IP phones.
InformaCast Advanced sends alert to on-premises devices. InformaCast Mobile sends alerts to mobile
devices, and InformaCast Fusion combines the capabilities of InformaCast Advanced and InformaCast
Mobile to send notifications to all on-premises and mobile devices from a single interface.

The different functionalities of each service level result in different pricing options. InformaCast Advanced is
sold as an annual subscription based on the number of endpoints an organization is trying to reach. Pricing
starts around $9.80 per endpoint for a pack of 250 endpoints, and can go as low as $6.30 per endpoint for
a pack of 5,000 endpoints. InformaCast Mobile and InformaCast Fusion subscriptions are sold by the
number of users. Each user can have multiple phones numbers and email addresses associated with them
to leverage multiple communication methods. InformaCast Mobile pricing starts at around $5.00 per user
for a pack of 250 users, and can go down to $1.75 per user for 5,000 users. InformaCast Fusion starts
around $11.00 per user and can be as little as $6.80 per user for 5,000. (Cont. on next page)

25
InformaCast Cost (cont.)
While InformaCast Fusion is more expensive than InformaCast Mobile, remember that it greatly increases
the reach of emergency notifications by sending to on-premises and mobile devices. It also operates in a
single interface, increasing the speed at which alerts are sent and making those alerts easier to administer.

HOW WE COMPARE
Now that you know how much InformaCast costs, you’re probably interested in how we stack up to the
competition. While we can’t provide specific details on the pricing of other emergency notification vendors,
we can provide some guidance on what to look for when comparing two notification solutions.

Let’s start by identifying where InformaCast is more expensive. If you’re a municipality or county trying to
notify its citizens via bulk SMS text messaging, InformaCast will typically be more expensive. That’s
because InformaCast was architected to reach individuals within an organization via many different
methods, whereas bulk SMS text messaging for large quantities of users is a commodity service. However,
in many cases, mobile alerts don’t achieve the desired reach for emergency messages.

InformaCast costs less when you compare it to the total cost of an emergency mass notification system.
Most emergency mass notification vendors are focused solely on notifications to mobile phones, and
initially, this may seem like the best value. But these systems need to add one or more on-premises
alerting systems to extend their reach, driving up the total cost and decreasing the usability. InformaCast
Fusion reaches people on mobile devices, as well as in-building devices already in place, such as desk
phones.

26
 Mass Notification System
Comparison Worksheet
Now that you know what to look for in a mass notification system, compare our InformaCast
software to other solutions you may be considering. Check the boxes below to find the best option
for keeping your people safe and informed. See the difference between a system that combines
on-premises and mobile notification, and those that only offer one or the other.

Solution A Solution B
Message Triggers
Desk Phones (speed dials, virtual panic buttons) X
Manual

Mobile App X
Panic Buttons (virtual or physical) X
Microsoft Teams X
Web Console X
Weather (CAP) X
Emergency Calls X
Automated

Physical Security Systems X

Chemical Spill Sensors X
Video Surveillance X
Earthquake Detection Systems X
Gunshot Detection Systems X
Email Monitoring X
Message Recipients
Desk Phones X
Computer Desktops (pop-up, ticker, tray and toast) X
IP-Based Speakers X
On-Prem

Analog Paging Systems X

Digital Signage X
Physical Security Systems X
Two-way Radios X
Strobes X
Blue Light Phones X
SMS Text X
Mobile

Push Notification to Mobile App X

Email X
Phone Calls X
Microsoft Teams X
Collab

Cisco Webex Teams X

Conference Call X
Twitter (Social Media) X

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 CONCLUSION

Choosing an emergency notification system is no easy task, but doing the research can help
make the process easier. Use this guide to compare the capabilities of different systems and
to examine the needs of your own organization.

Have questions? Need more information? We’re here to help you understand what you need
to keep people safe and informed. Visit our demo page at www.singlewire.com/demo or
contact a territory manager to discuss how InformaCast can fulfill your mass notification
need. Find more details at www.singlewire.com/contact-us, email sales@singlewire.com or
call 608-661-1140 Option 1.

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 1002 Deming Way
Madison, WI 53717
www.singlewire.com