PIER Updates Collaboration System for Emergency Response

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 09/11/08
##AUTHORSPLIT##<--->

PIER Systems has launched version 6.0 of the PIER--Public Information Emergency Response--system. The intent of the PIER program is to allow public affairs staff to draft, edit, and send out a message to multiple audiences directly, without having to go through conventional mass communication channels. PIER also allows users to send out notifications such as SMS text messages, manage public inquiries and respond to media effectively.

Users can manage media and stakeholder contacts through an inquiry management system, which provides a central control point for public engagement, enabling a dispersed team to collaborate when responding to questions and comments. PIER 6.0 adds two important features to this system: "answers" enable the team to view pre-approved answers and distribute those to inquirers, and direct e-mail integration allows use of standard e-mail addresses to enter inquiries.

PIER 6.0 also integrates with Alertus' wall-mounted emergency beacon technology. The result is a central tool for notifications. Users have the option to send out a notification via SMS text message, text-to-voice messaging, e-mail, fax, and now through Alertus notification beacons.

Other features include an updated user interface enabling PIER users to more easily navigate the system. The new release includes a new HTML editor that makes adding multimedia documents such as videos and presentations easier.

The new version also delivers a revised conference bridge section that provides a convenient place to store and recall details about conference calls.

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.

Featured

  • classroom scene with students gathered around a laptop showing a virtual tour interface

    Discovery Education Announces Spring Lineup of Free Virtual Field Trips

    This Spring, Discovery Education is collaborating with partners such as Warner Bros., DC Comics, National Science Foundation, NBA, and more to present a series of free virtual field trips for K-12 students.

  • glowing padlock shape integrated into a network of interconnected neon-blue lines and digital nodes, set against a soft, blurred geometric background

    3 in 4 Administrators Expect a Security Incident to Impact Their School This Year

    In an annual survey from education identity platform Clever, 74% of administrators admitted that they believe a security incident is likely to impact their school system in the coming year. That's up from 71% who said the same last year.

  • horizontal stack of U.S. dollar bills breaking in half

    ED Abruptly Cancels ESSER Funding Extensions

    The Department of Education has moved to close the door on COVID relief funding for schools, declaring that "extending deadlines for COVID-related grants, which are in fact taxpayer funds, years after the COVID pandemic ended is not consistent with the Department’s priorities and thus not a worthwhile exercise of its discretion."

  • pattern of icons for math and reading, including a pi symbol, calculator, and open book

    HMH Launches Personalized Path Solution

    Adaptive learning company HMH has introduced HMH Personalized Path, a K-8 ELA and math product that combines intervention curriculum, adaptive practice, and assessment for students of all achievement levels.