MessengerPlus Helps Orlando Avert Danger and Handle Emergencies
The 1994 World Cup soccer matches brought more than soccer fans to the city of Orlando, Florida. With the influx of crowds and dignitaries came the challenge to public safety organizations to manage security and coordinate activities among city, state, county, and federal law enforcement agencies.
The Solution
The city met the challenge using an AS/400 model D70 computer, the MessengerPlus software system and several hundred alphanumeric pagers. MessengerPlus is a software system from Bytware, Incorporated that allows anyone with access to an AS/400 to send messages to a group of pagers within seconds. According to Doug Thompson, a computer specialist with the city of Orlando, the city wanted software that would easily interface with an existing AS/400 network.
MessengerPlus allowed the city to have one central point for instantaneous communication that was accessible to city police, the Orange County Sheriff's Department, several federal and state agencies, and the Secret Service. During the World Cup ceremonies, officials from any agency were able to send out messages using terminals attached to the AS/400 computer.
"At an event like this, everything changes on a minute-by-minute basis," explains Thompson. "We could send out a message that something was about to happen, like 'High level dignitary entering south gate.' Within seconds, everyone knows about it and can respond accordingly."
City officials have used pagers in the past, but the Bytware software gave users in various locations the ability to forward messages via computer terminals. Never had so many parties been able to send and receive messages at once. "Anyone with access to the AS/400, which is more than 900 people in our case, could send messages," says Thompson. "It opens messaging up to a larger number of people."
In addition, the city was able to control who received messages. Using MessengerPlus , Thompson created lists of each team of personnel in the field. A message could then be sent to one team, several teams, or the entire group. The software dictates exactly which pagers are called by communicating with the computer at the paging company. Since the city of Orlando's adoption of the system, the messaging software has proven helpful for more than World Cup soccer security. Thompson has also used the software to prevent a breakdown in the city's computer system. MessengerPlus helps to monitor the AS/400 for possible system failures. The software is capable of deciphering, reacting and routing system messages to a workstation, a remote AS/400 or specific pagers.
On a recent weekend, one of the AS/400 disk drives malfunctioned. Thompson immediately received a full message on his pager showing the exact nature of the problem. He simply called the drive repair contractor to come fix the problem, never stepping foot in the office.
The city of Orlando has also used the software and pagers to relieve the city's overloaded police dispatch center when communicating with SWAT team members. With MessengerPlus, the dispatch center is able to send out messages to each SWAT team member in the field. Rather than sending out a message on digital pagers and having each team member call back for details, the police dispatcher can send out one message to all members. The message shows the type of emergency and where to respond so a call back is unnecessary.
Although the software and pagers were originally purchased for this type of one-way emergency communication, the system has also helped with basic daily administrative chores. City management uses MessengerPlus to schedule and coordinate meetings. "It's pretty nice," comments Thompson. "You get beeped and your pager tells you where and when you have a meeting."The city has been happy with the flexibility of the system and with the level of support provided by Bytware. "We purchased MessengerPlus for the SWAT team, but I can see it's going to be used in many ways. " says Thompson.
Learn more about the City of Orlando.
Learn more about MessengerPlus.
Resource Details
Type: Case Study
Product: MessengerPlus
Customer: The City of Orlando
Summary
When the World Cup brought more than soccer fans to Orlando, Florida, the city's IT specialist brought in MessengerPlus to help meet the challenge to public safety organizations, manage security, and coordinate activities among city, state, county, and federal law enforcement agencies.
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