The Building Owners and Managers Association helps Chicago’s Commercial Buildings plan for Communication during a Crisis
New York, NY, --[EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION NEWS]-- May 23, 2007 Send Word Now™ a provider of on-demand alerting and response services, today announced that it has been selected by The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Chicago to assist with the association’s emergency preparedness planning. BOMA/Chicago will make the multi-modal alert and response service available to its 800 members for rapid communication during a crisis, or for everyday, time-sensitive situations.
The City of Chicago and BOMA/Chicago announced today new and vital communications and logistics protocols in the event of a large scale emergency in the central business district. In a special forum on “Creating a Culture of Preparedness,” Chicago’s Chief Emergency Officer Cortez Trotter will unveil an After Action Report that will detail lessons learned from an evacuation exercise held last September and recommendations for enhanced preparedness and response by both the public and private sectors. One of the key findings unveiled in the City’s After Action Report includes the critical need for additional communications response tools that guarantee redundancy and enable the Office of Emergency Communications and Management (OEMC) and BOMA/Chicago to contact building managers, engineers and security directors in real time in the event of an emergency.
To that end, BOMA/Chicago will announce the acquisition and roll-out of the multi-modal alert and response service from Send Word Now. In addition to BOMA/Chicago now being able to communicate with all of its members through Send Word Now alerts, the SWN Alert Service will also be available to BOMA/Chicago members for use with their tenant communities at a special member discount.
“Send Word Now offers a vital alert and response service that will effectively help us to notify our member buildings should an emergency occur,” said Ronald Vukas, executive vice president, BOMA/Chicago.
About BOMA/Chicago
The Building Owners and Managers Association of Chicago™ (BOMA/Chicago™) is the voice of the office building industry in Chicago, representing 270 buildings housing private, institutional and government/public uses in the City of Chicago and 150 companies that provide services to commercial office buildings. Now in its 105th year and the oldest BOMA Association in the world, BOMA/Chicago represents the interests of the people and companies that own, operate, manage and service Chicago’s commercial buildings. Learn more at: www.bomachi.com
Source: Vendor Press Release
Send Word Now’s Alert and Response Service Chosen by BOMA/Chicago for Emergency Preparedness
Hawaii State Civil Defense Selects AtHoc to Create State-wide Emergency Alerting System
Hawaii Deploys a Network-centric Alerting Offering that Makes it Possible to Achieve Mass Alerting, Interoperate with Other Agencies and Monitor Threats from Multiple Sources 
Burlingame, CA (May 15, 2007) --[EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION NEWS]-- AtHoc, Inc. today announced the Hawaii State Civil Defense (HISCD) has licensed AtHoc IWSAlerts™ software to build a comprehensive, network-centric emergency notification system (ENS) to support emergency response state wide.
The system has already been installed in the HISCD headquarters at the Birkhimer Emergency Operating Center in Diamond Head Crater, Oahu, and is intended to provide support to HISCD personnel, to the emergency preparedness community and to the Hawaii special needs community on a pilot basis.
Hawaii State Civil Defense, Hawaii’s emergency management agency, is responsible for preventing, protecting and assisting its islands and citizens during emergencies and disasters. The AtHoc system allows HISCD to use its existing network to reach personnel within HISCD and partner organizations through multiple redundant channels of communications - including SMS text-messaging to mobile phones, desktop alerts over IP-networks, telephony, TTY/TDD devices and pagers.
The system can be triggered either by HISCD emergency managers or automatically by monitoring events communicated from external agencies (i.e. National Weather Service). IWSAlerts also enable HISCD to trigger alerts to the public over the broadcast Emergency Alert System (EAS) using the same Web-enabled integrated system, which improves response time and bolsters public safety.
"We began talking to Hawaii State Civil Defense shortly after we began working with U.S. military installations in the region. It was quickly apparent that all of the defense-related agencies and programs on the island would benefit from interoperability, and AtHoc was already working with the Pacific Command, Pacific Air Forces and the U.S. Navy," commented Guy Miasnik, president and CEO of AtHoc. "Hawaii is now promoting alerting interoperability state wide, which is a critical step in creating a finely-tuned emergency response capability. It’s exciting to be working with HISCD and numerous other organizations across the state to help build this very important emergency notification infrastructure."
HISCD decided to create a far-reaching alerting capability that contacts various communities, including:
- HISCD personnel
- Hawaii’s emergency preparedness community - first responders, federal, state and local government agencies, etc.
- Special needs citizens
- Emergency managers for universities, health facilities, hotels, corporations, etc.
- General public via the media and EAS – emergency alerts broadcast to TV, radio and newspapers
PlantCML Acquires REVERSE 911(R)
Temecula, CA/Indianapolis, IN --[EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION NEWS]-- May 14, 2007 - PlantCML, a mission-critical communications systems for emergency contact centers, announced today the acquisition of Sigma Communications, LLC, creator of REVERSE 911®, the country’s most recognized brand in emergency notification technology for emergency management, law enforcement, and other public safety agencies.
The acquisition adds another high-demand element to PlantCML’s portfolio of communications products, further solidifying its position as the nation’s top provider of response management solutions and emergency notification technology.
Tim Fuller, President and Chief Executive Officer of PlantCML, states, “Recent events in our country serve as powerful reminders of the need for fast and accurate communication in a crisis. Notification and response technologies are now an imperative for communities and organizations everywhere. With the acquisition of REVERSE 911®, no company is better positioned to deliver a complete critical communications solution.”
PlantCML continues to be backed by Golden Gate Capital, a San Francisco-based private equity firm with $3.3 billion of capital under management. “We are excited to support PlantCML as it continues its consolidation of the emergency response space,” said David Dominik, Managing Director at Golden Gate Capital. “The acquisition of REVERSE 911® adds yet another mission-critical public safety element to PlantCML’s core suite of solutions and services.”
“The REVERSE 911® trademark is synonymous with public safety notification across North America,” said Kevin McCarthy, President of REVERSE 911®. “Joining forces with PlantCML and its extensive customer base will allow for even greater corporate expansion and accelerated development in meeting the demands of today’s market.”
Existing agreements between each company, its customers, partners, and service providers will be honored. “It’s very much business as usual for customers, partners and others who have dealings with PlantCML and REVERSE 911®,” said Tim Fuller.
About REVERSE 911®
REVERSE 911® offers patented interactive technology that enables users to send recorded messages rapidly and simultaneously to thousands of people. Users can pinpoint precisely who receives the communication based on 9-1-1 calling data, geographic areas, or lists built on specific criteria. REVERSE 911® has proven useful for reporting missing persons, announcing water contaminations, or for distributing crime alerts. Today, REVERSE 911® is a leading technology for emergency management personnel, police departments, fire departments and other groups that recognize the critical importance of a fast, reliable communications tool during times of crisis.
About Golden Gate Capital:
Golden Gate Capital is a San Francisco-based private equity investment firm with approximately 3.3 billion of capital under management. The firm is dedicated to partnering with world-class management teams to invest in change-intensive, growth businesses. Golden Gate targets investments in situations where there is a demonstrable opportunity to significantly enhance a company's value. The principals of Golden Gate Capital have a long and successful history of investing with management partners across a wide rage of industries and transaction types. For more information, please visit www.goldengatecap.com.
Cistera Networks, Inc.
Cistera Networks makes Application Driven Telephony a reality by setting the new standard in advanced IP phone application platforms and engines for the Enterprise VoIP Telephony environment. The Cistera ConvergenceServer(TM) (CCS) uses the industry-leading Cistera Enterprise Platform for IPT to provide Unified Application Administration as well as Fault and Performance Management for enterprise IPT Application deployments. Cistera provides next-generation solutions for numerous vertical markets including education, finance, healthcare and government. Cistera Networks maximizes IP phone capabilities -- taking the communications platform to an entirely new level.
Phone: (972) 381-4699 Toll Free: 1-866-XML-TOGO (965-8646)
Email: sales(at)cistera.com Web: Event Alerting and Notification Solutions
Workspeed Management, LLC.
Workspeed Management, LLC. is the leading provider of Web-based and wireless applications that optimize real estate enterprise performance. Workspeed brings significant process improvements to property owners and managers by combining the benefits of workflow automation, collaboration, and wireless communication. As a result, customers gain unprecedented visibility and control of day-to-day building operations. Workspeed customers have experienced substantially increased revenues, decreased costs and reduced risk across the entire enterprise. The company is headquartered in New York City.
Workspeed and its new Notifications service work in tandem to comply with New York Local Law 26, which requires companies to account for their staff in an emergency evacuation and therefore aid the FDNY in rescue operations.
Tel: 917-369-9025 Fax: 917-369-9079
Web: http://www.workspeed.com email: sales(at)workspeed.com