Page 64 - Security Today, September 2019

Contact closures can also be triggered by the mass notification system when properly configured. Door locks tied to the Internet of Things can be activated along with mass notification messages to initiate a building-wide lockdown. This can help keep the intruder contained in a specific area and prevent them from causing harm to others. It also reduces the need to put people at risk by manually locking doors since door locks are activated remotely.
”By combining your mass notification system with IoT, you can achieve the most significant business outcome: a safer workplace.”
Building a Connected Ecosystem
Email and contact closures are two ways a mass notification can en- hance your emergency communications with the Internet of Things, but the real power comes in connecting everything you can to help spread information. The right mass notification system can provide an open API as well as numerous integrations with existing technolo- gies to help simplify and unify your alerting process.
A simple process is often a speedy one, so by building a robust mass notification ecosystem with the Internet of Things, you can trig- ger a mass notification with the simple push of a button.
That button can be literal or metaphorical. The methods I’ve pre- viously described would be the metaphorical button—a configured automated process that triggers alerts without you needing to do anything. But sometimes eyes and ears are the most reliable sources for identifying a threat, and a human touch is required to get the no-
tification ball rolling. That’s why connecting your mass notification system to other devices can help speed up the time it takes to activate messages and ensure they reach everyone who needs the information.
Virtual panic buttons and speed dials configured on IP phones, physical standalone panic buttons, keyboard shortcuts and more can be used to quickly distribute emergency messages.
IP phones, IP speakers, digital signage, desktop computers, strobes and mobile devices can all be used to receive messages and share information with intrusive audio, text, images and lights that clearly communicate safety information during a security crisis.
Data from IoT connected devices and systems can also be auto- matically pulled into those notifications. This could include readings from sensors, a URL to view video footage or the location of a fire alarm that was activated. This additional insight can help organiza- tions deliver more effective responses to the event taking place.
It’s important to assess the technology you already have installed and understand how it’s currently being used. Look at how different systems communicate with one another and determine if you need to bridge a gap to help speed up your response times.
A mass notification system is not a cure-all solution for using IoT for emergency communications, but with the right tools in place, you can bring together disparate systems for
a more cohesive alerting ecosystem. By combining
your mass notification system with IoT, you can
achieve the most significant business outcome: a
safer workplace.
Pat Scheckel is executive vice president of product management and marketing at Singlewire Software.
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