Campus Security | News

IntelliGuard Intros Alerting Device with Flash Drive

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 04/18/11

The RAVENAlert Flash Drive displays campus alerts and acts as an 8 GB thumb drive.

Security vendor IntelliGuard Systems recently updated its emergency notification devices to include a personal keychain. The company's RAVENAlert Flash Drive delivers messages to people carrying it on campus and also acts as an ordinary 8 GB flash drive.

The device displays text, emits sounds and words, vibrates, and displays a flashing light when the institution is sending a notification through the RAVENAlert notification service. The Flash Drive is a personal receiver that can be worn or carried by students and staff. The company estimated the price will be about $30 per student.

President and COO Dave Anderson said he expects the inclusion of the memory stick in the personal device to "give students an added reason to have their RAVENAlert device with them at all times."

The Flash Drive is the size and weight of a standard thumb drive. It can be customized with a school's logo and loaded with school documents, such as a student handbook, or used as a traditional drive to transport other content. It includes a digital clock, rechargeable battery, and a metal ring so the device can be attached to a lanyard, keys, or knapsack.

"We focused on new features that would be attractive to both students and school administrators," Anderson explained. "For instance, by loading important documents onto the RAVENAlert Flash Drive, schools can save money on printing and distribution, while improving their campus' carbon footprint, which is an issue that ranks high among students' concerns."

He added that some schools are considering working with area merchants to set up discount programs for students who show their keychain at the time of a purchase.

IntelliGuard also sells a wall/counter unit. Both that product and the Flash Drive work with a dedicated communication channel that sends messages through a network of transmitters, amplifiers, and encoding software. Dispatch software allows the institution to send unique alerts to specific groups of devices, allowing school personnel to guide affected groups as needed and to avoid panic in non-affected areas. According to the company, RAVENAlert isn't affected by power outages or congested cell phone network. There's no ability to turn the devices off or opt out of the messages.