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The NTI Group's Connect-ED(R) Communication System Recognized as 'Best' Hosted System in University of Central Florida Study
SHERMAN OAKS, Calif., Sept. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a study released by Dr. Lei Wei of the University of Central Florida (UCF), The NTI Group, Inc. (NTI) Connect-ED(R) system performed best for responsiveness and effectiveness during a simulation of extreme emergency conditions. Presented today to Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle's Task Force on Campus Safety, Dr. Wei's study is the nation's first to test various emergency alert technologies live on school campuses and according to the report, "Connect-ED is one of the best hosted systems that we have ever evaluated, based on our test."
During the July 27 study of a worst-case scenario, the Connect-ED system successfully demonstrated the ability to send messages with "the best results ... seen so far." Structured to test the limits of the emergency response notification system, Dr. Wei's research combined an extremely high call load with invalid phone numbers and severely restricted inbound phone line capacity. To most closely simulate a real emergency situation, researchers did not provide any of the test parameters to the Connect-ED system operator.
"We are very pleased to have been a part of this study. It's important for schools, colleges and universities to not only have an emergency communication system in place, but to have in place a system that can reliably reach students at the moment an issue arises," said Robin D. Richards, Chairman and CEO of NTI.
The Connect-ED system enables campus leaders to send personalized voice messages to up to six phone numbers per student, and can also send text messages to cell phones and e-mail addresses during unforeseen events or emergencies. NTI employs sophisticated call throttling logic to identify the proper schematic needed to deliver calls based upon whatever congestion the local telecommunications providers are experiencing at the moment the calls are being attempted.
The Connect-ED service does not require any additional hardware or software, and calls can be set up from any computer or telephone. This protects the service from infrastructure damage and ensures the communication can be conducted across all departments. Connect-ED has been successfully used for communication by schools across the country during events such as Hurricanes Katrina, Wilma and Ernesto, school shootings, campus notifications required by the Clery Act, and to help locate missing children.
The UCF team of researchers performed the live demonstration to test the effectiveness of all-hazards emergency notification systems for campuses. It is part of ongoing research funded by the US Department of Homeland Security, Office of Domestic Preparedness through funds from the Higher Education Subcommittee of the Florida State Working Group for Domestic Preparedness, the UCF Office of Research & Commercialization, Prepare Florida, and donations from Madah.com, a participant in the study.
About The NTI Group
The NTI Group, Inc. (NTI), a Delaware corporation, is a privately held company that provides award winning communication systems designed specifically for local, regional, state, and Federal government entities. The Connect family of services enables rapid dissemination of critical information via voice and text devices using its premier mass notification engine designed to allow users to quickly and easily record and send time-based notifications to thousands of people in minutes using just a telephone. NTI makes and distributes the Connect-ED(R), Connect-CTY(R), Connect-GOV(R), and Connect-MIL(R) systems, allowing users to target specific groups and/or geographic regions within their database(s) and engage recipients in two-way communication by asking them to respond to questions via their telephone keypads.
NTI Group, Inc.
CONTACT: Elizabeth Horan, +1-916-288-2202, for NTI Group, Inc.
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