Technology has made communication a lot easy, efficient, and quick. Can you remember the days when the best way to get in touch with another person who’s in another location was to make a phone call? But these days, there are many other ways for you to reach another individual. We’re talking here of modern communication tools like instant messaging, SMS, and even video calling.
But not all the aforementioned communication tools are suited for sending alerts during critical situations. For example, using Skype isn’t the most practical way to tell a colleague about an incoming storm because there’s no certainty that the other party is connected to the Internet.
Mobile text alerts, however, are being tapped by many companies for reaching out to their employees during emergency situations such as storms, earthquakes, terrorist attacks, to even less harrowing instances such as leaked pipes and IT network disruptions. Mobile text alerts can also be used to communicate internal announcements like staff hiring, promotions, or instructions about a new product or service that a company is launching.
There are inherent advantages of SMS as a communication tool that makes it ideal for use during emergency situations:
1. It’s less time consuming.
Sending a text message is not as time consuming as say, placing a phone call or sending an e-mail. This inherent advantage of text messages make it a more suitable way of reaching out to colleagues during a distressing situation such as an earthquake or fire.
2. There’s no need for a user to be connected to the Internet to receive text messages.
Unlike email and instant messaging services like WhatsApp and Viber, an intended recipient does not have to be connected to the Internet to receive text messages. As long as the mobile phone is turned on, the employee will be able to receive alerts or advisories from his superiors or from the management.
3. It’s a convenient way for hearing impaired people to communicate.
With mobile text alerts, the deaf and hearing impaired will still be able to receive important messages from the management. This is something that obviously cannot be said of phone calls.
4. Text alerts can be sent to a large number of people at a time.
Unlike phone calls, it is possible to communicate to a large number of people simultaneously with mobile text alerts. SMS can be used to send a message to many people either from a list of contacts, or even to all employees of an organization.
5. It can reach out people who are always on the go.
Sending an email can take a few seconds, but it’s not suited for reaching people who are always on the go especially those who are part of sales and delivery teams. These workers are always on the road and thus have limited access to their emails.
But with mobile text alerts it is possible for companies to send reach their workers who are in the field. Critical information such as weather updates, traffic advisory and the likes may be delivered to these workers no matter where they are.
6. It’s customizable.
Mobile alerts can be customized to suit the preferences of its users. There are mobile text alerts vendors that allow messages to be sent to any telecoms provider worldwide. Another common feature is support to iOS and Android devices, as well as all kinds of mobile phones. Moreover, users can schedule their messages so that information can be relayed during specific times and dates. It is also possible for messages to be repeatedly sent, depending on the requirements of users.
