How to Retain Business Continuity with a Cloud-Based Emergency Notification System

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How to Retain

Business Continuity

with a Cloud-Based

Emergency

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Introduction 1

Use Cases 2

Security and Reliability 5

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[email protected] / 775-476-8710

Introduction

It wasn’t all that long ago when a specialized on-site server was required to send emergency messages to a company’s network. The extraordinary technological advances over the past 15 years have led to emergency notification systems being moved out of backroom server closets to cloud-based platforms, where short of the apocalypse no single event will shut it down. Considering the fact we’ve had an unprecedented number of disruptive events over the past few years, ranging from natural disasters to active shooters and bombings, it’s fortunate that some emergency communications have been moved to the cloud, giving organizations a fighting chance to retain business continuity and keep their doors open following an incident.

Because cloud-based Emergency Notification Systems (ENS) are not affected by adverse local conditions, i.e., area power outages, localized and widespread natural/manmade disasters, etc., members of emergency response and crisis communications teams have the ability to effectively collaborate during a crisis and keep their fingers on the pulse of the organization - 24/7/365 from any location in the world with an internet connection or cell phone signal; be it managing the crisis from a mobile command post equipped with computers, or sitting in a car on the side of the road using a tablet to coordinate staffing adjustments.

This ability to access the ENS virtually from any location via computers, mobile devices, tablets, etc., empowers multiple team members to simultaneously perform their roles in managing a crisis from start to finish and in some instances, the ability to avert a crisis altogether.

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Use Cases

The following use cases illustrate just a few of the many ways that Regroup’s cloud-based Emergency Notification platform can strengthen your organization’s resiliency and help you maintain continuity of business activities during a crisis.

Ensure Employee Safety & Wellbeing

 Rapidly alert employees of eminent severe weather conditions (tornado, hurricane, etc.), acts of violence, hazmat spills, gas leaks, fires, etc. via the one-click unified communication dashboard or by emailing and/or texting in an alert to Regroup.

 Effectively coordinate evacuations, provide guidance during lockdowns and shelter-in-place situations, and supplement messages with maps of evacuation routes, emergency procedures and any other information that is vital for safeguarding the organization’s employees.

 Transmit critical safety and prevention tips during a public health emergency, including information on symptoms and where employees can go to receive any applicable vaccinations. If follow-up shots are required, messages can be scheduled to automatically remind affected employees via their preferred contact methods.to Take Prior to a Crisis

Effectively Coordinate Emergency Response Efforts

 Activate and assemble emergency response and crisis communications teams, as well as notify applicable law enforcement and public safety agencies of the situation.

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 Dispatch internal security officers to respond to incidents and exchange realtime updates from personnel on the scene via two -way communication.

 Use real-time two-way communication to effectively collaborate with internal and external emergency response teams, public safety agencies, regulatory agencies and any other applicable institution or department, in order to more effectively safeguard human and physical assets.

Maintain Continuity of Business Operations

 Coordinate staffing adjustments with management and employees utilizing real-time two-way messaging, i.e., whether personnel should work from a pre-determined alternate office location or telecommute, etc., to ensure minimal disruptions to day-to-day business commitments.

 Maintain a steady stream of communication with internal members and external stakeholders, e.g. customers, parents, affiliates, etc., to provide reassurance that the organization is on top of the situation.

 Communicate with vendors, suppliers, transportation carriers, etc. regarding alternate delivery locations, revised inventory requirements, schedules, etc.

 Notify employees of changes in protocols and policies.

 Reporting capabilities allow admins to review all incoming and outgoing messages, as well as create a paper-trail for applicable employee accountability notification and reporting requirements. This also gives organizations the ability to assess and improve communications for future crises.

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Facilitate Crisis Communications

 Be proactive in preventing the spread of misinformation and rumors by providing ongoing status updates on website portals, RSS feeds, social media, as well as transmitting those updates to internal members and/or external stakeholders via mobile devices, email and landlines.

 Implement predetermined monitoring and information gathering systems to quickly catch negative trends, correct any misinformation that’s circulating on traditional and social media, and more accurately adapt strategies.

 Coordinate media briefings with applicable members of the crisis communications team, i.e., the official spokesperson, media relations specialist, key executives, head of security, legal counsel, etc.

 Empower the Media Relations Specialist to forward press releases via several communication channels simultaneously to local and/or national reporters who cover the organization’s sector, to ensure the correct information is being reported and to protect the organization and brand.

 Once the crisis is over and has been thoroughly assessed, relay the organization’s holding statement to stakeholders, constituents and the media.

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Security and Reliability

A cloud-based Emergency Notification and Mass Messaging platform not only saves organizations money, it also decreases the amount of time needed to spend on IT management related functions such as server maintenance, upgrades, etc., and enables more effective collaboration between multiple departments and external agencies regardless of adverse local conditions.

Some organizations though are still hesitant to move critical data from on-site networks to cloud-based platforms due to a belief that cloud-based solutions are not as secure as systems located on the premises. However, cloud technology has come a long way since its inception and just as the technology itself has advanced, so has growth in areas related to cybersecurity, both on the governmental level and in the private sector.

Cloud-based systems offer a systematic, standardized approach to security and Regroup places great importance on the security of our application and the data housed therein. We pass all network and website vulnerability tests and are protected with security measures which include but are not limited to:

 Multiple, Redundant, Geographically Positioned Data Centers

 SSL Security

 OS-Level Firewall

 Authorization Bypass Security

 Cross Site Scripting (XSS) Security

 Cross Site Request Forgery (CSRF) Security

 SQL Injection Security

 SAS-70 Compliant

Regroup has a history of 99.999% uptime and also offers 24/7/365 emergency service and support. Day or night, Regroup acts as another member of our clients’ emergency response team by helping to facilitate the sending of critical alerts during any situation.

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Conclusion

While in the past, organizations faced seemingly insurmountable challenges trying to retain business continuity following a disaster situation, with the technological advancements in emergency communications organizations have the ability to better ensure ‘business as usual’ even when events are anything but.

Whether it’s coordinating with essential personnel while sitting in a coffee shop using a tablet, or from an airport business lounge halfway around the world, when communications are in the cloud disruptive events don’t have to lead to a disruption in the continuity of your business operations.

Next Steps

1. Now that you have read this white paper, please share it with your colleagues and discuss how your organization can better maintain a continuity of operations during a crisis with a cloud-based mass messaging platform.

2. If you would like more information on how Regroup’s cost-effective multi-modal Emergency Notification and Mass Messaging System can help your organization more effectively manage and control a crisis to maintain business continuity, through a secure, reliable cloud-based platform, please contact us for a complimentary demonstration customized for the specific needs of your organization.

3. Subscribe to our Newsletter in order to obtain information regarding new white papers and upcoming webinars related to best practices in emergency and mass notification.