• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

My TechDecisions

  • Best of Tech Decisions
  • Topics
    • Video
    • Audio
    • Mobility
    • Unified Communications
    • IT Infrastructure
    • Network Security
    • Physical Security
    • Facility
    • Compliance
  • RFP Resources
  • Resources
  • Podcasts
  • Project of the Week
  • About Us
    SEARCH
Compliance, Facility, IT Infrastructure, News, Physical Security

The Dos and Don’ts of Selecting Mass Notification Software

The marketplace for mass notification solutions is vast, and tools continue to evolve to meet user demands and reflect real-world scenarios.

October 27, 2022 Paul Shain Leave a Comment

mass notification software

As security concerns grow and the ability to easily reach people has become more challenging, organizations have been turning to mass notification software to get information out at the onset of an emergency. However, the marketplace for these solutions is vast, and tools continue to evolve to meet user demands and reflect real-world circumstances. To help find the right solution, here are four do’s and three don’ts to keep in mind when selecting mass notification software.

DO

  1. Look at Multiple Solutions

Many vendors will claim they have a mass notification solution, but not all tools are created equal. Some only send SMS text messages and push notifications. Some have limited ability to integrate with other technology. Some include incident management capabilities while others require organizations to make an additional investment in a separate solution. Researching different solutions will make it easy to spot differences to help make the right choice.

  1. Bring in Other Departments

Too often, the responsibility of selecting mass notification software will fall on one person or department. The problem is that different departments may have different goals they are trying to achieve and needs they are working to address. The IT team may have different requirements than the security team, who may have different ideas for what the best solution would be than HR or the facilities team. Bringing different groups together will help identify what everyone wants to accomplish by implementing mass notification software, the different use cases it will be deployed for, and potential issues that may arise before any decisions have been made.

  1. Ask Questions

When choices have been narrowed down, solutions may begin to look similar, so it’s important to ask vendors questions to determine what sets them apart. If a vendor says their solutions has a certain feature or can perform a certain task, ask to see it demonstrated. If there are questions about whether the software can connect to other technology, ask if there is a way to make it work together. The more questions posed to the vendor the more confident an organization can be in their selection.

  1. Think About More Than Emergencies

Mass notification software is often seen as a solution for emergency communication, and while this is a primary use case for most tools, those that can handle non-emergency tasks can offer more value. Whether it is a school looking to schedule its bells, a hospital trying to automate announcements for visitor hours, or an office letting employees know a company-wide meeting has started, being able use mass notification software outside of emergencies will help keep people familiar with how to use it and incorporate it into an organization’s daily operations.

DON’T

  1. Rely on Patchwork Solutions

Organizations can sometimes fall into the trap of checking a box when it comes to selecting a software solution. When the time comes to implement it though, they may discover they are missing critical components which require additional investments, but mass notification software should bring disparate technology together, not create more silos to manage. Solutions that do more may seem expense up front but can provide long-term value by doing more work with a single tool rather than multiple ones.

  1. Invest in Additional New Technology

For some organizations, the need for mass notification software may be urgent. This may lead to selecting a solution that fulfills all the requirements but is incompatible with much of the technology that is already in place in an organization. This can result costly equipment replacements and delay implementation. Being able to leverage existing tools like desk phones, paging systems, desktop computers, digital signage and more with simple integrations helps organizations get more value out of existing technology investments and allows them to get up and running sooner.

  1. Overlook the Value of Reaching Everyone

The most valuable component of mass notification is having a tool that gives an organization the ability to reach all their people with consistent messaging when it matters most. Select software that gives the option to use text and audio delivered to a wide range of on-site and mobile devices. This gives organizations the best opportunity to interrupt ongoing activities and get information to their people no matter where they are or what they are doing.

By following these guidelines, organizations should be able to set themselves up on the right path to select mass notification software that meets their needs and helps keep their people safe and informed during a crisis.

Paul Shain, president & CEO of Singlewire SoftwarePaul Shain is president and CEO of Singlewire Software, developer of InformaCast, a mass notification and critical event management solution.

If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our digital newsletters!

Tagged With: Mass Notification, Singlewire

Related Content:

  • Cloud, SASE, Aryaka How the Cloud is Redefining Media Production and…
  • Singlewire Software mass notification interview Singlewire Software on Mass Notification Solutions
  • URI catchbox 1 Catchbox Plus: The Mic Solution That Finally Gave…
  • Engaging virtual meeting with diverse participants discussing creative ideas in a bright office space during daylight hours Diversified Survey: Workplace AV Tech is Falling Short,…

Free downloadable guide you may like:

  • Practical Design Guide for Office SpacesPractical Design Guide for Office Spaces

    Recent Gartner research shows that workers prefer to return to the office for in-person meetings for relevant milestones, as well as for face-to-face time with co-workers. When designing the office spaces — and meeting spaces in particular — enabling that connection between co-workers is crucial. But introducing the right collaboration technology in meeting spaces can […]

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Downloads

Practical Design Guide for Office Spaces
Practical Design Guide for Office Spaces

Recent Gartner research shows that workers prefer to return to the office for in-person meetings for relevant milestones, as well as for face-to-fa...

New Camera Can Transform Your Live Production Workflow
New Camera System Can Transform Your Live Production Workflow

Sony's HXC-FZ90 studio camera system combines flexibility and exceptional image quality with entry-level pricing.

Creating Great User Experience and Ultimate Flexibility with Clickshare

Working and collaborating in any office environment today should be meaningful, as workers today go to office for very specific reasons. When desig...

View All Downloads

Would you like your latest project featured on TechDecisions as Project of the Week?

Apply Today!

More from Our Sister Publications

Get the latest news about AV integrators and Security installers from our sister publications:

Commercial IntegratorSecurity Sales

AV-iQ

Footer

TechDecisions

  • Home
  • Welcome to TechDecisions
  • Contact Us
  • Comment Guidelines
  • RSS Feeds
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linkedin

Free Technology Guides

FREE Downloadable resources from TechDecisions provide timely insight into the issues that IT, A/V, and Security end-users, managers, and decision makers are facing in commercial, corporate, education, institutional, and other vertical markets

View all Guides
TD Project of the Week

Get your latest project featured on TechDecisions Project of the Week. Submit your work once and it will be eligible for all upcoming weeks.

Enter Today!
Emerald Logo
ABOUTCAREERSAUTHORIZED SERVICE PROVIDERSYour Privacy ChoicesTERMS OF USEPRIVACY POLICY

© 2025 Emerald X, LLC. All rights reserved.