ARCHIVED: Completed project: Event notification system

Primary UITS contacts: Mark Bruhn, Marge Abels

Completed: August 12, 2008

Description: Implement a web-based, externally hosted event notification service. The project began in mid-2006 with exploration of various options/offerings; additional priority and emphasis were placed on the project in early 2007, following tragic events at Virginia Tech, and subsequent discussions among the President, Provost, President-elect, Chancellors, Board of Trustees, and emergency planners about the lack of a means to communicate effectively with (primarily) students in case of an emergency.

Outcome: A service through which the university can communicate with students, faculty, staff, and others who have reason to be on IU campuses regularly; for controlled, regular announcements; and as a component of a set of overlapping emergency/immediate alert systems.

Milestones and status:

The aggressive project schedule is as follows:

• April/May 2007: Finalize requirements and develop RFP Completed
• May 11, 2007: Distribute RFP Completed
• June 11, 2007: RFP responses due Completed
• June 11-July 6, 2007: Choose finalist vendors Completed
• July 9-15, 2007: Vendor demos Completed
• July 16, 2007: Announce selected vendor through the selected service Completed
• October 15-November 15, 2007: Initial discussion and resolution of issues and concerns Completed
• October 15-December 31, 2007: Phased addition of contact information Completed
• October 31, 2007: Have limited (email) communications capability Completed
• November 2007-present: Continued discussions and resolution of issues and concerns Ongoing
• December 31, 2007: Fully functional service Completed
• April 2008: IUPUI campus test Completed
• June 2008: IUPUI used the system for communications during an A/C event on campus
• July 2008: Regional campus testing (IUK and IUSB)
• September 2008: IUB campus test

Update: A contract has been finalized with Blackboard Connect (which now owns NTI Group, Inc.), for use of its Connect-ED service. This notification service will be a primary component of IU's communications service called IU-Notify. Other components include campus sirens, emergency radios, broadcast media, and classroom notification capabilities (which are being explored).

To facilitate the successful implementation of the notification system, a technical implementation team has determined the process and successfully set up the daily transfer of data from IU to the Connect-ED system. A communications team consisting of representatives from each of the IU campuses has been formed to determine the communications plan to increase awareness, educate the campus community on the use of the system, and carry out these communication strategies.

A policy/strategy group has been formed to discuss issues related to policy, privacy, usage, etc. This group consists of a variety of individuals who represent certain constituencies or are valuable to the project because of their expertise.

As of December 20, 2007, Emergency Management Teams for all of the eight IU campuses have been trained on how to use the system. These emergency planners are developing scripts that will be loaded into the Connect-ED system and used in emergency situations to alert members of the IU community. Emergency planners are also working to determine roles for key users in the system, which assigns the level of access each user has to send messages.

Comment process: Send email to drp@indiana.edu.

Benefits:

• Replace current ad hoc mass/targeted email communications processes
• Provide a means of communicating with members of the university community at various organizational levels in case of emergency (as part of a set of alert methods, e.g., sirens, public address)
• Afford students and parents additional assurance and comfort

Primary client: University and campus administrators and emergency planners

Client impact: Clients will have more flexibility in developing and targeting regular/periodic mailings to all or to segments of the university population.

Certain authorized administrators will be able to send emergency communications to individuals via myriad methods (email, cell voice, office voice, text message, etc.) simultaneously and nearly immediately. The system likely will also act as an extension of current and planned local and campus alarm systems, as part of a cohesive emergency notification web.

Project implementation team and advisors:

• Marge Abels, IU Emergency Management and Continuity, OVPURAPP
• Troy Barnes, IU Emergency Management and Continuity, OVPURAPP
• Mary Lou Emmons, IU Emergency Management and Continuity, OVPURAPP
• Michelle Dugger, Purchasing
• Kirk White, University Community Relations
• Larry Stephens, Office of Risk Management
• Ken Long, Office of Risk Management
• Bob True, IUPUI Police
• Rich Strong, IUPUI Environmental Health and Safety
• Tom Davis, OVPIT/IIA Policy and Security
• Alan Walsh, UITS Enterprise Infrastructure
• UITS/ES application area developers
• UITS/ES OneStart portal developers

Governance: Mark Bruhn, Executive sponsor, Associate Vice President, Information and Infrastructure Assurance

Project policy/strategy team: