Providence College Successfully Tests New Emergency Alert System

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Providence College is one of seven colleges and universities nationwide participating in a pilot program to test a new state-of-the-art emergency alert system, designed by IntelliGuard Systems LLC. Through advances in micro technology, the IntelliGuard System delivers messages and instructions in less than 20 seconds through dedicated messaging devices, including the revolutionary RAVENAlert keychain.

The RAVENAlert keychain is a breakthrough in micro-technology, weighing less than an ounce and about two and a quarter inches long, it emits a loud audible alert upon receipt of a text message and was specifically designed so that it can be carried by students, staff and faculty alike, as a keychain or simply attached to a carabiner, backpack, purse or lanyard.

“For several years we have been searching for a way to connect to our classrooms,” says Providence College Director of Emergency Management Koren Kanadanian. “Rewiring buildings and FM signals from third party providers were not convincing solutions and text messaging using cellular phones is too slow because messages are delivered sequentially. As a result, students who are alerted first immediately call parents and friends, delaying messages to the rest of the students.”

“I wanted Providence to participate in the pilot program since the IntelliGuard System is the only system that sends messages simultaneously, thereby ensuring all persons with a RAVENAlert keychain or in close proximity to a RAVENAlert wall unit are immediately and simultaneously alerted in the event of an emergency.” Kanadanian continues. “The test was a complete success and the entire team was great. There were no problems with the installation of our dedicated network, the RAVENAlert key chains or the RAVENAlert wall units, all of which went off within 15 seconds of dispatch. Our campus is only a hundred acres, but we tested the IntelliGuard System in old underground tunnels, buildings with steel roofs and brick walls 18 inches thick, a police and fire department room with 400 Mhz to 800 Mhz equipment in full operation, and even dead cellular areas, and we could not be happier with the results.”

Kanadanian, who has a master’s degree in Emergency Management, served as both a military and civilian medic and worked as a policeman for 12 years before becoming director of Emergency Management at Providence. “Emergency management and the ability to alert students, faculty and staff alike is an unfortunate reality as business and workplace violence has become a severe problem,” observes Kanadanian. “A very appealing feature of the IntelliGuard System is that all network equipment is located right here on campus,” Kanadanian asserts. “I feel more secure knowing we control the sending of emergency messages.”

Jenna Richardson, vice president of Product Development for IntelliGuard Systems noted “the fact that Providence College was the first College in the nation to sign up for our pilot program speaks to its commitment to its students and new technologies that provide clear benefits. They immediately recognized the limitation of existing email and text messaging systems and could not have done more, or acted quicker, to consider, evaluate and now test all elements of our system and related messaging devices.”

American Messaging Announces Acquisition of Raven Systems

American Messaging Services, LLC (”American Messaging”), the second largest wireless messaging or paging company in the United States, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Raven Systems, LLC (”RAVEN”).

American Messaging serves more than 1.4 million customers and maintains wireless messaging networks in almost every major market in the United States. RAVEN is a trusted provider to military and government agencies and the nuclear power industry and has extensive experience in electronics, digital paging, and software and hardware development.

Read more

PageNet Offers Enhanced Message Distribution

“PageNet is Canada’s leading paging services and messaging supplier. With a team of dedicated professionals focusing on all facets of the development, enhancement and support of our nationwide network and our customer’s messaging solutions, PageNet is committed to providing the ‘Best Network, Best Coverage & Best Price,’” says Rob Graham Senior Vice President Business Development & CTO. “PageNet utilizes the most advanced single frequency FLEX and ReFLEX technology-based network with mission critical grade digital control systems and high speed satellite linked network facilities, across Canada. PageNet continues to offer TAP access as well as the enhanced SNPP protocol.”

Read more

Thomson Reuters Acquires Liquid Engines

Liquid Engines now part of the Tax & Accounting business of Thomson Reuters

On August 26, 2008, Liquid Engines, a developer of tax management software, was purchased by Thomson Tax & Accounting, a division of Thomson Reuters.

Thomson Reuters is the world’s leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. By combining industry expertise with innovative technology, Thomson Reuters delivers critical information to leading decision makers in the financial, legal, tax and accounting, scientific, healthcare and media markets - powered by the world’s most trusted news organization.

The Tax & Accounting business of Thomson Reuters is the leading provider of technology and information solutions, as well as integrated tax compliance software and services to accounting, tax and corporate finance professionals in accounting firms, corporations, law firms and government.

Summit County, Ohio, Contracts With American Messaging LLC

The Summit County (OH) Council this week agreed to spend $75,000 on a two-year contract for pager services. American Messaging Services LLC of Lewisville, Texas, will handle the services for about 650 pagers in the county system. The majority of those pagers are needed by sheriff’s deputies at the county jail, officials said. Cell phones are not permitted in the jail for security reasons, they said. The county used to have more than 1,000 pagers and the previous contract was for $120,000, officials said.

American Messaging Services, LLC and Raven Systems, Inc. Announce Partnership

Lewisville, Texas - January 15, 2009 - American Messaging Services, LLC and Raven Systems, Inc. are pleased to announce a joint marketing agreement to sell Raven System’s state-of-the-art emergency and mass notification service, RAVENAlert. Unlike any other form of mass notification or system today, RAVENAlert has the ability to simultaneously notify recipients of a pending disaster or other emergency situation in less than one minute and to “geo target” messages to specific locations affected by a particular event.

RAVENAlert devices mount to a wall or sit on any flat surface, and by utilizing the wireless messaging network of American Messaging, a specified group of devices can simultaneously receive and broadcast messages. Myron Anduri, President of Raven Systems noted, “broadband networks like those of the large wireless carriers and out dial telephone systems deliver messages sequentially, therefore the more messages to be sent, the longer it takes to deliver messages to all intended recipients or devices.” He went on to note “this fundamental issue, which in almost all emergency situations has delayed timely notification of emergency and other affected personnel, led us to American Messaging and its paging network.”

Read more

Sensus Metering Systems and PageNet Canada Formalize Alliance for Two-Way Network

Pittsburgh, PA - Paging Network of Canada, Inc. (”PageNet Canada”), a leading provider of two-way wireless messaging services, and Sensus Metering Systems, a leading provider of advanced utility meter reading systems, announced the signing of an agreement solidifying their alliance to provide utility meter monitoring services over a Canadian Narrowband PCS licensed radio network.

Having worked together for nearly a year under a Memorandum of Understanding, PageNet Canada will continue to provide Sensus with ongoing network services, including turnkey system build-out, maintenance, repair and central monitoring. The agreement also provides Sensus with access to over 350 tower locations throughout Canada where Sensus FlexNet Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) fixed network receivers will be installed.

Read more