SMS text messages are not only used for person-to-person communication but also organization-to-subscriber for a variety of services including marketing, promotions, emergency alerts and entertainment services. SMS is also a convenient way for deaf and hearing-impaired people to communicate.

SMS Text Messaging is currently the most widely used data application in the world with billions of users. As recently reported by CTIA – The Wireless Association, in the United States alone there are over 327 million wireless subscribers. 1.14 trillion text messages were sent in the first six months of 2011.

Recent findings from the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project state that approximately 73% of adult cell phone owners use the text messaging function on their phone at least occasionally. Text messaging users send or receive more than 40 messages per day on average, and cell phone owners between the ages of 18 and 24 send an average of 109.5 messages per day.

So how does it work?

When your cell phone is turned on, even when not in use, it is constantly sending and receiving cell phone tower information via a control channel pathway. When someone sends you an SMS message, the message flows through the short message service center (SMSC), then to the tower, and the tower sends the message to your phone as a little packet of data on the control channel. In the same way, when you send a message, your phone sends it to the tower on the control channel and it goes from the tower to the SMSC and from there to its destination.

Message data includes not only the message content, but also the length of the message, a time stamp, and the destination phone number. Your cell phone does not have to be active or in range to receive a message. The message will be stored in the SMSC (for days if necessary) until you turn on your cell phone on or move into range, at which point the message is delivered. The message will remain stored on your cell phone SIM card until you delete it.

The Short Message Peer-to-Peer (SMPP) protocol is an industry protocol for sending SMS text messages between peer entities like short message service centers. It is used to allow service providers like news organizations and text marketing companies to submit messages in mass format to individuals.

An SMS gateway can allow SMS text messages to be sent and received by email via Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), from web pages or from other software applications. By attaching the appropriate wireless carrier domain name to a cell phone number, it becomes an address capable of receiving text messages.

SMS Advantages

• Allows discreet conversations.
• Does not require access to a computer.
• SMS doesn’t overload the network as much as phone calls.
• High visibility as most phones allow some sort of push notification to alert recipients of message immediately upon receipt.

SMS Disadvantages

• Cost. Some wireless plans only charge for user-originated messages, while others charge for incoming messages as well.
• No guarantee of immediate delivery, as periods of high traffic can delay messages by minutes or even hours.
• SMS does not support sending pictures, video or music files.

James Grinnell, an Associate Professor of Management at Merrimack College, has written an article entitled “During the Golden Hour of Crisis Will You Be Captain Cool or Captain Coward?” He begins by comparing the actions of Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger on US Airways flight 1549 with Captain Franceso Schettino aboard the Costa Concordia cruise ship. One is called a hero and the other a coward, but why such vastly different reactions in a crisis?

How we respond in a crisis can be influenced by many factors, including our personal beliefs and fears. Our bodies kick into high gear when we are in a stressful situation which can product the “fight-or-flight” response. As a result, our physical body undergoes changes including an increase in heart rate and blood pressure as adrenaline pours into the bloodstream.

Most often, people who are able to stay calm in a crisis are those who focus on what it is they need to do rather than what is happening to them. It is an outward focus that shifts attention away from the self to that of others around you.

A quick and effective response is an important aspect of crisis management. Situational awareness is an extremely important factor, and individuals who have it are more apt to respond correctly and effectively when faced with a crisis. Training can greatly increase situational awareness skills, as those who have been exposed to crisis situations are more likely to respond correctly when the real thing occurs.

Team building and good leadership skills are also extremely important. A leader should exhibit openness, honesty and a commitment to others in order to build the level of trust needed to take charge in an emergency.

Some guidelines suggested by the author to help mitigate negative crisis response:

• Establish responsibility for managing the crisis ASAP and establish a decision-making process for dealing with the crisis.
• Commit to making the response to crisis a team effort (to the extent feasible) and determine who will be involved in the crisis response team.
• Develop a communications strategy clarifying what will be communicated and to whom.
• Balance need for information with need for reassurance; don’t lie, play down the situation, or speculate.
• Gather situational intelligence and be sure to adaptively align actions with emerging situational clarity.

To read the full article, visit: http://www.pmhut.com/during-the-golden-hour-of-crisis-will-you-be-captain-cool-or-captain-coward

Online training sessions will cover a variety of topics as determined by customer feedback and interest. Instructor-led sessions include topics such as:

• User training
• Administrator training
• Best practices
• Reporting
• Open Q&A session

Exact dates and times are still being determined. A follow up announcement will include instructions on how to register for the training date and time of your choice.  If you need assistance immediately, please feel free to email our outstanding Customer Support team to schedule a training session at your convenience.

2011 was an exciting year for Rapid Notify.  We have implemented a number of recent system enhancements and exciting new options that you may not be aware of.

Our brand new Automated Severe Weather Warnings option delivers precision-targeted alert notifications via SMS Text and/or email just moments after being issued by the National Weather Service.

The new optional Inbound 800 Number feature provides customers a dedicated 800 number for callers to hear your latest recorded message.

SMS Text Messaging is now fully enabled for all of our Canadian customers. Contact us for current pricing.

Rapid Notify now offers you the ability to have an Alert Summary PDF and CSV file sent immediately upon completion of an alert process to the email address you specify. When setting up a New Alert, look for the field just below the Alert Description to enter an email address for delivery of the completion report.

Additional system enhancements include:

• Customizable reply-to email address for email alert responses
• Up to three phone numbers for a single contact record
• The addition of a  “last modified” date to lists
• Faster alert completion process with reduced message repeating and re-tries
• The “re-send” option allows you to send the same alert or a new message to successful deliveries, failed deliveries, or both
• Create new messages and contact lists on the fly during the alert creation process
• Self-Registrants can now use the same login credentials for multiple customer self-registration lists

As an added measure of security and assurance, Rapid Notify customer service can not make changes to user roles or reset passwords without prior authorization from the Primary Point of Contact for a customer account. As a reminder, those with the user role of Customer Administrator have the ability to manage user roles and passwords from their login accounts.

Look for more exciting enhancements in the future.  In the meantime, please let us know of any features or options that interest you.

Looking forward to 2012!

Steve Sipe

President, Rapid Notify, Inc.

After Santa Barbara County faced a series of devastating wildfire emergencies in the last five years, the 2010-11 Santa Barbara County Civil Grand Jury conducted an investigation.

According to the Grand Jury “many officials in the various emergency information organizations seemed reluctant to release information to the media and public because of ‘verifiability’ issues.”  In addition, the Grand Jury expressed concern that the verification process “significantly slowed alert and follow-up information needed by the public – in some cases from 30 to 60 minutes.”

As for the potential cause of these communication problems, the Grand Jury cited “an overly cautious culture when it came to communication among emergency agencies” as well as jurisdiction issues.

Recommendations from the Grand Jury included encouraging county and city officials to require emergency agencies to pass emergency information to adjacent jurisdictions and the County Office of Emergency Services without delay and specifying that the OES should be placed in charge of emergency education development and distribution, and should receive funding for such.

Read the entire report here: http://www.sbcgj.org/2011/EmergencyAlert.pdf