Unified Communications Featured Article

Singlewire Emergency System is FIPS 140-2 Validated

By Paula Bernier
Executive Editor, TMC

Thinking about emergency situations makes most people uncomfortable. But organizations that don’t plan for the unexpected can find themselves in situations that are far worse than uncomfortable. News reports remind us of this daily.

That’s why more than 5,000 organizations in over 50 countries use InformaCast, Singlewire Software’s emergency notification solution. And it’s why the company continues to update the solution to expand its capabilities.

The Madison, WI based business recently released InformaCast Advanced Notification 12.0.1. This new version features:

• FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard) 140-2 validated cryptography modules;

• an emergency notification paging wizard in the Cisco (News - Alert) Unified Communication Manager, which let users configure two of InformaCast’s most popular features in less than 10 minutes; and

• other performance and security upgrades.

Singlewire Software worked with SafeLogic on its FIPS 140-2 validation. The 140-2 FIPS is a U.S. government computer security standards used to approve cryptographic modules. In addition to the FIPS 140-2 validation, InformaCast Advanced Notification 12.0.1 can enable users to know when an emergency number is dialed from their organization. It also can be used to set a panic button on Cisco IP phones to trigger emergency notifications.

This solution is ideal for use by businesses, government offices, schools, etc.. It can help organizations more effectively address and alert staff and students in the case of such events as an active shooter on premises or severe weather.

“InformaCast has a wealth of features that can benefit schools and districts in keeping their communities informed,” Singlewire Software recently blogged. “… InformaCast can help get the word out quickly. It also can connect to a variety of existing devices schools have already invested in, including overhead speakers, digital signage, and Cisco IP phones.”