Network-based Alarm System Sends Silent Alert -- THE Journal

SecurityPrivacy

Network-based Alarm System Sends Silent Alert

By Dian Schaffhauser
04/08/08

##AUTHORSPLIT##<--->

A Spokane, WA company has developed a computer network-based alarm system that allows users to trigger an emergency alarm through their computers to send a silent alert to all other users logged into the same network. Pentad Systems' LANalarm could complement text messaging-based notification systems, which tend to have a lag between the time the emergency is communicated to administrators and the notification is actually sent out to participants.

LANalarm has multiple alarm types, which are set off with a couple of keystrokes. The first alarm type is a "Help Me" alarm. This signifies an emergency where help is needed in a particular office. The second alarm type is a "Please Evacuate" alarm. Triggering this alarm will alert all office personnel to evacuate in an orderly manner. A third alarm option is a "Lockdown" alarm, which alerts users to stay in their rooms or offices and lock the doors.

When the alarm is initiated, an alarm panel flashes on user screens. According to an article in the Spokane Journal of Business, only an IT administrator can shut the alarm off once it is triggered, preventing a user from simply shutting it off without really noticing it.

Company President Randy Nichols told the Journal that the software has been tested at a Washington state agency in a pilot project. He said the program was also in use in private schools in the Spokane area and would be tested by a school district shortly.

Get daily news from THE Journal's RSS News Feed

About the author: Dian Schaffhauser is a writer who covers technology and business for a number of publications. Contact her at [email protected].

Proposals for articles and tips for news stories, as well as questions and comments about this publication, should be submitted to David Nagel, executive editor, at [email protected].

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

E-Mail this page

Printable Format

Featured

New OpenAI Swarm Framework Offers Open Source Tool for Multi-Agent AI Networks

OpenAI has introduced a new open source framework for the development and management of multi-agent AI systems that can collaborate autonomously to perform tasks.
Rubrik Data Protection Platform Upgrade Offers Speedier Threat Hunting

Data security specialist Rubrik is upgrading its data protection platform to offer quicker recoveries in the familiar backup & recovery process.
Call for Speakers Now Open for Tech Tactics in Education: Thriving in the Age of AI

The annual virtual conference from the producers of Campus Technology and THE Journal will return on May 7, 2025, with a focus on AI, cybersecurity, and student success.
Los Angeles Unified School District Adopts VR Learning Platform, Resources

Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) recently announced a partnership with Avantis Education to bring educational virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) solution ClassVR to its students. A news release reports that the district has already deployed more than 16,000 ClassVR headsets as part of the Los Angeles Unified Instructional Technology Initiative.