Interesting Emergency Notification Partnerships Developing

Public safety officials are beginning to call for more versatility from their emergency notification and warning vendors. Language is beginning to show up in Requests for Proposals (RFP) such as this clause from a recent RFP:

"...uses a combination of methods for alerting the public of emergency situations, recognizing that one application cannot provide warning to all citizens."

Some vendors are beginning to get the message. They're teaming with other vendors who may have been considered competition in the past. Among announcements made recently:

• Rave Mobile Safety and Acoustic Technology, Inc (ATI) announced they are integrating Rave's mobile solutions with ATI's audio and visual notification capability.


• Twenty-First Century Communications and Wallace Wireless announced they signed a mutual reselling agreement to help support Blackberry® smartphone use with multi-modal notifications.


• Desktop Alert announced a partnership with Dialogic Communications Corporation (DCC). Desktop Alert also has "industry alliances" with notification vendors W.A.R.N., LLC and ATI.


• Honeywell announced a partnership with REACT Systems, primarily focused on in-building notifications.


• Global Security Systems and Northrop Grumman announced a teaming agreement for wireless and non-wireless communications.

Emergency management officials should be pleased with this growing trend. It should provide more options and less hassle. There may still be a need to deal with multiple vendors, and someone from the outside may be needed to help coordinate, but at least some vendors are working together. We suspect we'll see more announcements soon.

All the best,

Rick