Universities all over the Nation are using text messaging to instantly communicate to all students that sign up, wherever they are located. How it works is that the University sets up an account with a company like e2Campus, Rave Campus, or Mobile Campus and in the event of an extreme, campus-wide, life threatening emergency, the University would text message alerts to students, faculty and staff. Knowing that over 90% of all students have cell phones today, text messaging alerts are the ideal way for schools to communicate swiftly and effectively.
Not only are Universities going to be using emergency text messaging notification. In an article from CNN, the FCC has approved an emergency alert text-messaging system for all cell phone companies that choose to participate. The FCC representative explained how the plan would work. Cell phone companies that voluntarily opt into the system would send text-based alert messages to subscribers in response to three types of events:
1. A disaster that could jeopardize the health and safety of Americans, such as a terrorist attack; these would trigger a national alert from the president of the United States
2. Imminent or ongoing threats such as hurricanes, tornadoes or earthquakes
3. Child abductions or Amber alert
Even Businesses, Organizations and some High Schools are taking advantage of this effective way to send emergency alerts.
Check out this article at NewScientist.com for more about text message disaster alerts.