Transcript VT Alerts Update

VT Alerts Update
Carl Harris
Chief Technology Architect
Virginia Tech IT
7/16/2015
[email protected]
VT Alerts Timeline
• Sep 2006
initial discussion on need for mass communications
• Jan 2007
evaluation of providers of SMS/phone notification
• May 2007
Everbridge (3N) contract negotiation
• July 2007
Self-service app for subscribing to phone alerts
7/16/2015
[email protected]
Since Then...
• 2008
– VT Alerts Emergency Notification System
application
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•
•
•
SMS/Phone
VT Home Page
“Blast” Email
Classroom signs
• 2009
– Desktop alerts
– Subscribe-by-proxy for phone alerts
7/16/2015
[email protected]
Since Then...
• 2010
– Regional notification (DoEd mandate)
– Standardized scenarios and templates
– Fully automatic subscriber data synchronization
with Everbridge
• 2011-2012
– Twitter integration
– E-mail delivery improvements
– Phone alerts for non-affiliates
– Phone alerts purge support
7/16/2015
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By the Numbers
• ~60,000 phone alerts subscribers
• ~28,000 total Twitter subscribers
– @vtalerts + @vtnews
• ~500 digital signs in classrooms
• > 100,000 downloads of VT Desktop Alerts
7/16/2015
[email protected]
Phone Alerts for Non-Affiliates
• Who?
– First responders and associated leadership
– Contractors, vendors, etc
– Town residents adjacent to the university
– CRC staff and tenants
• What?
– Submit an application to enroll in VT Phone Alerts
– Vetted by Office of Emergency Management
– Log in using university “guest account”
7/16/2015
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Phone Alerts for Non-Affiliates
Application Form
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Phone Alerts for Non-Affiliates
Review Form
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Other Initiatives Underway
• Preparing an RFP to establish a new contract
for SMS and phone alerting
– Contract with Everbridge has about one year left
– Lots of work writing technical requirements
7/16/2015
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Other Initiatives Underway
• Significant changes in system architecture
– Improve robustness
– Simplify and reduce risks for introducing new
technologies
– Better, more reliable delivery feedback
– Ability to replicate components off-site
– Compliance with Common Alerting Protocol
7/16/2015
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Other Initiatives Underway
• Push notifications
– An alternative to SMS for “instant” notification of
alerts on smartphones, tablets, desktop systems
– Support for all major providers of push
notification capabilities
• Apple, Google, and Microsoft
– Most of the design and implementation
prototyped to support the VT Gemini application
7/16/2015
[email protected]
Other Initiatives Underway
• Integration with building alarm systems
– Deliver audio alert over fire alarm enunciators in
suitably equipped buildings
– Dramatic cost reduction vs. digital signage
• Install for an entire building is about the same as cost
for installing two digital signs
– Depends on many aspects of the Unified
Communications system project
7/16/2015
[email protected]
Other Initiatives Underway
• Moving all of VT Alerts development to open
source
– Some source code already released
• Much more remains to be released
– Rebranding as UAlerts and productizing as we go
– Trying to develop collaborations with other
institutions also working in this space
7/16/2015
[email protected]
Where to From Here?
• Incident management in ENS
• Better use and conveyance of geo-location
• Mobile alerts applications
– Receiving alerts
– Initiating alerts (e.g. Office of Emergency
Management, VTPD)
7/16/2015
[email protected]