Iwatsu Voice Networks (
www.iwatsu.com), a leading provider of hosted communications solutions, announced Salisbury University (
www.salisbury.edu) has selected Iwatsu's Enhanced Messaging Application (EMA) to enhance the university's telecommunications.
“ We wanted to ensure that in case of a significant incident where communications lines are out of commission or over taxed, we could still get the word out quickly and efficientl... ”
EMA is a hosted interactive communication and notification system used by school districts and institutions of higher education. The solution, used for urgent and emergency campus communications, provides notification and communication of activities to students, faculty and staff, providing focused information to each. EMA provides true 360 degree communication allowing urgent information to be pulled and/or pushed via telephone.
In case of an emergency, Salisbury University will deliver to the campus community messages to mobile or landline phones, alerting them of urgent or emergency events.
"This system greatly enhances our ability to alert the campus community of dangerous events in real time," said Edwin Lashley, chief of University Police, Salisbury University. "A quick notification will help keep the campus community out of harm's way. The system will also aid in the management of police resources and increase our ability to be vigilant."
This initiative augments the University's already robust emergency communication procedures which include mass emails, phone hotlines, a web-based news delivery system and many emergency phones in campus buildings with direct dialing capability to the public safety office.
"We wanted to ensure that in case of a significant incident where communications lines are out of commission or over taxed, we could still get the word out quickly and efficiently," said Jerome Waldron, chief information officer, Salisbury University. "Having text and voice capability helps the visually impaired by providing voice alerts to selected telephones in each building."
That over 95 percent of the University's incoming freshmen has signed up for the service augurs very well for the University and its ability to manage its communications in an emergency. In delivering peace of mind, data is confidentially stored on hosted servers in secure facilities with access restricted only to authorized personnel. Access to timely, accurate information provides families with the comfort of knowing their loved ones are cared for in emergencies as well as in their daily routine.
"Parents and students want to know safety is a top priority at Salisbury University," said Dr. Ellen Neufeldt, vice president of student affairs, Salisbury University. "Many students use mobile phones as part of their normal communication pattern, and this is the fastest way to reach them. With a diverse student body, it's critical to have multiple communication options. This will better assure the broadest coverage to reach our students, faculty and staff."
EMA enables timely, consistent, cost-effective voice communications. The hosted solution:
- Improves the dependability and consistency of messages - Messages can be sent to multiple contact numbers, increasing the likelihood of the message being received. Recorded messages, from the voice of authority, are presented consistently to all recipients.
- Saves staff time and cost - Thousands of messages are sent in minutes; a tiny fraction of the time compared to arcane phone trees or manually dialed messages. Contact lists are prepared in advance, centrally stored and secured, allowing immediate response when needed.
- Improves safety - Timely information means emergency personnel and the wider campus community remain informed while allowing University officials to focus the event management and resolution.
About Salisbury University
Salisbury University (
www.salisbury.edu) is a nationally recognized institution with a creative curriculum emphasizing undergraduate research, study abroad, professional internships and community engagement. Ranked in national guidebooks and surveys, SU is consistently among the top 10 percent of public and private institutions nationwide. A member of the University System of Maryland, SU's four academic schools are endowed, a rarity among public institutions. Located on the historic Eastern Shore, SU's campus is some 30 miles from the Atlantic beaches and 2.5 hours from Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Exceptional students, a highly regarded faculty and dynamic administration have made SU a Maryland university of national distinction.
About Iwatsu Voice Networks
Iwatsu Voice Networks (
www.iwatsu.com) (IVN) provides leading edge business communications solutions to small and medium sized business (SMB), the educational market and many other market segments. The Enterprise platform provides cost effective unified communications, speech recognition, call reporting, in-building wireless, campus networking and text-to-speech applications that are typically used by Fortune 1000 companies. IVN is a subsidiary company of Tokyo-based Iwatsu Electric, a 70-year industry leader and pioneer of many firsts in the telecommunications industry, doing business in North America through over 250 authorized business partners.
