Emergency Text Messages Can Notify Residents of Open Shelters

We're barely a week into winter and already snow and ice storms and below zero temperatures have invaded the Midwest and caused havoc in people's lives. Not only does this type of weather make it hard to get around, but it can also affect people's safety and well-being.

When ice knocks out power, it takes with it the ability to stay warm and prepare a hot meal, which is why many communities rev up generators and open shelters at churches or schools to give people a place to stay until electricity can be restored. Residents of small, rural communities often go the longest without power because of the distance between communities and the difficulty of travel.

Without electricity, it's unlikely that television news stations will be effective reaching those who need to know the shelter locations. Cell phones, on the other hand, are a great way to communicate in these situations. Communities that have a broadcast communication system in place can quickly send text and voice messages to cell phones to announce the opening of shelters and let people know how best to travel. People can easily find out the latest updates, and community officials can reduce the number of person-to-person contacts they must make to help inform residents of their options. This frees up valuable resources that can definitely be used in other capacities in unpredictable weather situations.

Communities can learn about the benefits of broadcast voice and text messaging services by visiting our Web site - http://www.communicationsmadeeasy.com/. We specialize in serving small, rural communities and have designed our services to fit their budgets.

Emergency Text Messages Calm Fears and Speculation

When sirens sound and emergency equipment responds to a particular neighborhood or school campus, people will be inclined to think the worst. Onlookers may try to get closer to the center of the commotion, putting themselves in danger, and rumors can spread like wildfire, even without confirmation.

Emergency text messages, sent quickly and with basic information, can calm fears and reassure neighbors that the situation is being handled.

This situation happened just last week at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Students were worried about their safety by the sirens and flashing lights on campus, but a text message sent a short time later revealed that the emergency was a gas leak. And while potentially dangerous, students knew their personal safety could be secured simply by evacuating the designated area and staying away from the scene.

It was a serious situation, but not quite of the magnitude that some were fearing. The broadcast text message was an efficient way to send accurate and timely information to those who might have panicked otherwise. A great example of the benefits of using a broadcast messaging service like CME.

For more on the Ball State story, click here.

Notify Clients of Business Closings

I've mentioned before how help CME can be when businesses must notify employees of weather or other situations that require businesses to close early or adjust employees' schedules. CME can also help those businesses notify their customers and clients of these situations. Doctors, dentists, lawyers, accountants, hair stylists, and others who do business by appointment will find a broadcast messaging system especially valuable.

When your business has to close early due to deteriorating weather and road conditions, you hardly want to delay an employee's leaving by asking them to phone every client/patient to cancel appointments. Individual phone calls to each client or patient would take time, but activating CME's broadcast messaging system would take just minutes. You could not only notify those with standing appointments of the closing, but you could chose to notify your entire contact list so your clients wouldn't risk venturing out in bad weather to drop in unannounced only to find your business closed.

Your clients/patients will certainly appreciate being notified in a timely manner, and your employees will appreciate the ease and efficiency of sending messages without having to stay and risk the weather or road conditions deteriorating even more. Just another way CME can help you improve customer service and help ensure the safety of your clients and employees as well.

Texting Amber Alerts

If your child was abducted, wouldn't you want EVERYONE in your community to immediately know who and what to look for? AMBER Alerts were designed specifically for this purpose and have been extremely valuable when information needs to be distributed quickly in these situations. According to the U.S Department of Justice, the AMBER Alert™ Program, "is a voluntary partnership between law-enforcement agencies, broadcasters, transportation agencies, and the wireless industry, to activate an urgent bulletin in the most serious child-abduction cases. The goal of an AMBER Alert is to instantly galvanize the entire community to assist in the search for and the safe recovery of the child."

Metropolitan cities often have the capability of displaying AMBER Alert messages on LED message boards that hang over Interstate highways or other digital-type billboard displays. But smaller towns and rural areas don't always have access to these tools. The only way to instantly send an AMBER Alert in these areas is through text message or automated calls to cells phones. Only through these methods will the message reach those who are already out on the roads, where they could possibly spot a particular vehicle, license plate, or suspicious situation.

This is yet another instance where local governments and law enforcement could use CME's broadcast communication system with life-saving results. Our instant messaging capabilities activate 4 different methods of communication and reach people wherever they happened to be - shopping malls, fast food restaurants, gas stations, and streets and highways. By arming citizens with detailed information, an abducted child could be recovered faster with the help of text messaging and automated phone messages.

COMMUNICATIONS MADE EASY NAMED AS FINALIST IN BUSINESS.COM WHAT WORKS FOR BUSINESS CONTEST!!

Communications Made Easy is one of five contest finalists vying for the best solution to a Technology business challenge and a grand prize of $10,000.

To vote for Communications Made Easy simply click on the image What Works For Business to the left and then click on the technology category or click here.

Rochester, Illinois, Dec. 10, 2008 — Communications Made Easy, a 4-1 broadcast communication service, was named as one of the finalists in the Business.com What Works for Business Contest which aims to identify the best solutions to business challenges. CME’s entry was selected as one of the best in the Technology category from hundreds of contest entries by a panel of business expert contest judges.

Winners for each of the 10 contest categories, and the overall contest winner, will be chosen by popular vote at The What Works for Business Contest Voting page from Wednesday, Dec. 10 through Friday, Dec. 19 at 5 p.m. Pacific. The final contest results will be announced on Monday, Jan. 12 with each category winner receiving $2,000 and the overall contest winner receiving $10,000.

“We are very excited to have made the final cut for this contest,” said co-owner Michelle Tjelmeland. “We’ve worked hard to design our own software to bring rural communities the capability of sending emergency messages through text messages, e-mail, recorded phone messages, and Web site postings. It’s great to be included as one the top 5 technology solutions.”

Co-owner Mark Roberts thanked the judges for selecting their story as one of the finalists. “We appreciate the support from Business.com’s editorial team, judging panel, and all those who read our story and vote. You’ve given us a fantastic opportunity to get some nationwide exposure for CME.”

Sponsored by Business.com, the leading business search engine, directory and pay-per-click advertising network, the What Works for Business Contest is open to all North American businesses and is designed to help shift business focus from what’s wrong with the economy to what small businesses can actually do to survive and thrive in 2009. Eligible participants submitted a brief description of a business challenge they faced and how they solved it in one of 10 key business categories - Money, Technology, Sales & Marketing, Web, Office Management, Operations, People, Business Location, Startup, and Management – between Oct. 22 and Dec. 3. These entries were reviewed by Business.com’s editorial team and then rated by a panel of action-oriented business leaders to determine the finalists.

“The What Works for Business Contest showcases the ingenuity of small business owners, managers and startup entrepreneurs while creating a resource for businesses seeking real answers,” says Daniel Kehrer, Editor of Business.com and the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Journalist of the Year for the Los Angeles region.

To vote or see a complete description of contest rules, visit http://whatworks.business.com/

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About Communications Made Easy

Communications Made EasyTM is an affordable communication tool that broadcasts any message in a matter of seconds to a mass mailing list, using a proprietary 4-in-1 system. This innovative and user-friendly service makes it easy to use one access point to send messages simultaneously, via the Web, e-mail, text message, and phone. CME offers monthly messaging subscriptions, premium service add-ons that enable customers to enhance their package as needed, concierge service to ensure customer messages are dispatched immediately in times of crisis, and a reseller program to allow organizations to brand and sell the product as their own. Communications Made EasyTM is a subsidiary of The Easy Life, LLC, headquartered in Rochester, IL.

Communications Made Easy Media Contact:

Michelle Tjelmeland
Co-owner
800.605.0082
info@communicationsmadeeasy.comBusiness.com Media Contact:

Dianne Molina
Senior Manager, Corporate Communications
Business.com
310.586.4150
dmolina@business.com

Texting In Emergencies

Texting is the communication tool of the future. We already know how popular it is with teens and young adults, and as they get older, they will certainly continue to use text messaging as their communication tool of choice. And you can bet that, as current and future entrepreneurs, they will figure out how to use this technology to efficiently communicate in every area of life.

Imagine having the capability to text an emergency message to the nearest 911 center. This could be especially helpful in emergency situations where the "caller" cannot talk, whether due to injury or even a hostage or kidnapping situation. There are people working out this technology right now. One example is Houston, Texas.

In an on-line article at www.khou.com, officials in Harris County discuss their plans for this capability. "'We're working to make sure you can call with any kind of phone device in the very near future,' said Sonya Clauson, Greater Harris County 911 Emergency Network....It's still a few years away, but the funding is now in place to create a system that will allow you to send an emergency text message to the closest 911 center."

Houston's mayor, Bill White, is also quoted as saying, "We'll be able to grow and meet the needs of a growing community without radio congestion."

This is exactly why communities, emergency management agencies, and first responders, especially in rural areas, should start integrating text messaging into their emergency response protocols. They can save time, reach more people, and free up radio frequencies for those responders who really need those channels open.

CME is up for the challenge of finding ways text messaging can benefit you. We can help you design your emergency communication response to include text messaging. It's time to embrace this technology because it's not going away anytime soon!

CME Can Keep Employees Informed of Weather Situations

We often think of schools closing when bad winter weather hits, but there are a lot of businesses and organizations that close as well. A broadcast communication system for businesses can work much the same way as it does for school districts in these situations, and can be just as valuable. Using Communications Made Easy in a business setting is useful if you have to contact several employees at once. Here are a few examples:

In rural areas, many employees travel 30 - 45 miles, or even more, to work every day. A snow storm can easily leave 2 or 3 inches in one area while dumping 5 or 6 inches just 30 miles down the road. So, commutes that didn't receive much snow might not even think to call ahead about road conditions. In this situation, a broadcast message to all employees can warn them of dangerous road conditions or announce that a business will be closed.

Or perhaps the electricity has gone out and a business has decided to close until it is restored. A broadcast message can easily inform employees, without the need of the Internet. Simply call our 24-hour concierge desk and have our customer service representatives send a message for you.

On the other hand, maybe your business requires extra personnel in bad weather. If you run a snow removal business or a power company , you'll need everyone available to respond. With CME, you can quickly request early arrivals or dispatch certain employees to branch locations or satellite offices.

In these situations, it's not very efficient to rely on calling trees or have one person try to make contact with every employee. You can save a lot of time and send notifications much quicker with CME.

Setting Up Your Contacts List

If you're considering CME to help you handle your broadcast communication needs, you may be wondering how you can collect the contact information of all of your contacts. The answer is easy. We can display a sign up form on your alert notification Web site (which is free for CME customers) where your contacts can input their own contact information and indicate how they would like to receive notifications. Another option might be to include a sign up form in any regular mailing or newsletter. The information would then need to be entered by someone designated by you.

Once your contacts' information has been loaded into your CME account, messages can be sent in 1 or more modalities. For non-critical messages, you may wish to simply send out an e-mail notification, but in times of emergency, you may send the message out in 2,3,or all 4 ways.

Furthermore, all message recipients get an individual account so they can set up their own communication preferences. They have the ability to log in and set up their preferences of how they would like to receive their communication (via Web, e-mail, text and/or auto dialer) even after the account has been initially set up by you. If you plan on sending out non-critical messages mainly by e-mail, you would want to be sure to advise your residents to enable their account to receive the messages sent via e-mail.

This is all done automatically by our propriety software...you won't ever have to set up the account log ins or passwords for your recipients. Yet another advantage to having CME as your broadcast communication service. We take care of all of the hard work - you just send out your messages with the confidence that you will always have immediate access to your contacts!

Bill Grubner, Jr., works as a manager of government emergency solutions for Genesys Labs, a developer of contact communications software. He recently wrote an article entitled, Emergency Communications Systems: 5 Do's and 5 Don'ts, for CRM Buyer, a Web site dedicated to customer relationship management. In his article, he talks about the need for local, state, and federal officials to respond to a wide variety of emergencies and discusses how best to communicate with citizens in these circumstances.

One of his "do" pieces of advice to governmental agencies is to "incorporate multichannel capabilities." He lists five channels as the most important ones for broadcast communications systems to support - e-mail, SMS text, voice self-service, live assisted serivce, and proactive automated outbound calls. "The advantage of an integrated multichannel approach," writes Grubner, "is that it enables citizens to enter the system from a variety of touch points while still receiving consistent information and instruction."

Communications Made Easy is a service that can meet these demands under this multichannel approach, using e-mail, SMS text, and automated outbound calls. We have the ability to serve these governmental agencies and make it affordable to do so. Grubner says, "While many agencies are much better prepared than they were only a few years ago, the majority are still looking to evolve their approach." CME's mission is to be part of this approach, helping to provide a coordinated emergency communications plan with the technology that will quickly reach a significant number of people.

You can read more of Grubner's article here. His advice clearly points to services like CME to be the answer to emergency communication systems, and CME intends to be part of the solution, especially for rural communities and school districts.

Choosing Between Expense and Student Safety

Earlier this month in Austin, Texas, school district officials had to close seven schools because of the threat of two armed men running from police near an elementary school. Administrators didn’t want students walking to school in this potentially dangerous situation. They implemented their emergency communications system, which involved notifying the media, posting a notice on the district’s Web site, and providing information to the schools’ switchboard operators.

Fortunately, the armed robbery occurred early enough to notify most parents through television and radio. But what would have happened if it had occurred only 15 or 20 minutes before school. Many students would have already been on their way to school, either walking or in the car. And media outlets wouldn’t have had time to warn most people.

The school district has looked into using an automated phone system that could send messages to cell phones or home phones in less than an hour. But, officials said the district can’t afford to spend the money.

This is exactly why Communications Made Easy has worked so hard on developing a system that is affordable to all users, no matter the size or scope. When it comes to our kids, we shouldn’t have to risk putting them in dangerous situations when the technology is available to keep them safer. We think a more direct approach is needed to notify parents. Text messages and automated phone calls to home and cell phones would be much more efficient and reach more parents quickly, especially those who are already on their way to school. CME intergrates all of those options into one simple Web site interface to facilitate fast distribution of important information.

Loaded Gun Alert

On November 14 in Powell, Wyoming, a dispute between two men resulted in a gun shot. The suspect initially ran from police but fortunately, surrendered later without incident. The hand gun, however, was not recovered with the suspect, so emergency officials used their broadcast communications system to notify residents.

The Powell Tribune reported that the police were still searching for a Colt model 1911 semi-automatic .45 caliber handgun, and used their emergency communication system to call 106 households to notify them of the missing handgun. They believe the gun was discarded somewhere in the area, and they not only want to recover it for evidence, but for safety reasons as well. The gun could still be loaded.

The emergency communication system in this instance provided a quick and easy way to warn parents about the possibility of a loaded gun within easy reach of their kids. It allowed officials to get the word out sooner than the media could broadcast the information, and by calling households directly, they could target specific people and ensure that each household was contacted.

We know that rural areas of the United States are not immune from serious crime, but sometimes those areas aren't as equipped to warn residents about impending danger. That's where an emergency communications system comes into play. Communications Made Easy is especially focused on bringing this technology to rural communities who may not have a broadcast media outlet that can immediately warn residents of dangerous situations. And we do it at an affordable price, which is especially important these days, when budgets are being tightened all across the board.

Another College Activates Emergency Communications System

A college in North Carolina put its students on alert on Monday after law officers began a high speed pursuit of a suspect in a car jacking. The suspect was believed to be armed with a 9 mm handgun. Mars Hill College administrators instituted their campus wide emergency communication system to alert students, staff and faculty.

This is the perfect example of how an emergency broadcast message can be used to warn people of possible danger. It's a quick and easy way to encourage people to become more aware of their surroundings and watch for unusual or suspicious activity, and take extra steps to keep themselves safe. Those preparing to get on the road had the information they needed to avoid getting caught in the middle of a pursuit.

That's what an emergency communication system is all about - giving people enough information in a timely manner so they can make decisions about their activities. It's a necessary tool for those responsible for public safety, and that's why CME believes its services are so valuable and so important.

Millikin Regional Entrepreneurship Network Clients Participate in Innovate Illinois Competition

Two Central Illinois businesses competed as semi-finalists against 30 other Illinois businesses in the Fourth Annual Innovate Illinois Competition held in Chicago on September 26. The Springfield businesses were selected from among other Central Illinois applicants to represent the Millikin Regional Entrepreneurship Network (MREN) in this program designed to recognize high-growth small businesses in Illinois that have launched or will soon launch an innovative product or service.

Innovate Illinois is a highly selective entrepreneurial competition where local companies compete for a total of $100,000, with the two top honorees (one early stage company and one later stage company) each receiving $40,000. The program is jointly administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and the Chicagoland Entrepreneurship Center. The Millikin Regional Entrepreneurship Network provides small business consulting services and training through Millikin University’s Center for Entrepreneurship, an integral part of the university’s Tabor School of Business.

Michelle Tjelmeland and Mark Roberts of Communications Made Easy™ and Larry Davsko of Electric Vehicle Technologies (EVT), LLC were accompanied to the competition by Connie Beck, MREN director. Each business owner made a five-minute “fast pitch” presentation in front of a panel of judges. Twelve finalists (six in each track – early stage and later stage) were announced at a reception following the presentations. EVT was invited to join five other companies to compete in the “later stage” finals in Chicago on November 18.

“We were very proud to be represented by two such innovative businesses from our region in the competition,” said Beck. “As current clients and previous MREN Challenge Grant Award recipients, it was an honor to have these two potential high-growth businesses compete against companies representing the state’s other 15 entrepreneurship centers. Our staff looks forward to our continued relationship with both businesses as well as EVT’s participation in the finals next month,” Beck concluded.

Communications Made Easy™ is a broadcast communications system that allows customers to send one message in four different ways simultaneously—web, e-mail, text message and phone. It is an affordable, easy-to-use product that addresses the communication needs of many different organizations, including school districts, government agencies, colleges and universities, churches, non-profit organizations, employers and many more. There is currently no one else pursuing the company’s target customers with a four-in-one communication model. Some customers can be up and running in as little as five minutes.

“Being a semi-finalist for Innovate Illinois was an amazing experience for Mark Roberts, co-founder, and me,” Tjelmeland explained. Being in a room with 31 other like-minded entrepreneurs and seeing the incredible things they are doing in the State of Illinois was extraordinary,” continued Tjelmeland. “We learned so much from our experience and developed several business relationships which are certain to help us gain the national exposure necessary to bring our product, Communications Made Easy™ - The Original 4-in-1 Communication System™, to market.” For more information, visit www.communicationsmadeeasy.com or call 800-605-0082.

Founded in early 2006 after two years of research, EVT was formed for the purpose of commercializing its electric motor technology. EVT has taken electric motor and generator technology to a new level with unique designs utilizing the latest in material science, major advancements in electro-magnetism, and decreasing costs in controls and sensors. The design’s key attribute, maximum torque at any operating speed, has gained the attention of various industry leaders because it can eliminate the need for transmissions, gearboxes, axles and differentials in agriculture and construction heavy equipment applications.

“EVT was honored to have been selected by MREN to represent Central Illinois as one of the 16 ‘later stage’ semi-finalists from across the state,” stated Davsko. “We were especially pleased to have been chosen as one of the six finalist in our category to compete for a $40,000 prize in November. Our association with MREN, in addition to our exposure to other innovative businesses and venture capitalists through this process, will certainly benefit our company as we continue testing and refining our prototype motors over the coming months,” Davsko emphasized.

In addition to its Decatur campus location, MREN has a satellite entrepreneurship center located at the Lewis & Clark Community College Macoupin County Community Education Center in Carlinville. Fund by DCEO, the centers administer a Challenge Grant Award program for potential high-growth small businesses. Businesses can apply for up to $5,000 in matching grant funds in order to acquire outside professional consulting services that will help them “grow their businesses.”

For more information about MREN, its services and training programs, or the grant program, contact Connie Beck in Decatur at 217-424-6267 or cbeck@millikin.edu, or Art Knippel in Carlinville at 217-854-9652 or aknippel@millikin.edu. Information about the Millikin Regional Entrepreneurship Center can also be found at www.millikinren.com.

Western Kentucky University Activates Emergency Communication System

I'm sure we all cringed last Wednesday when we heard that gunshots may have been fired at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The campus was in lockdown for several hours on October 23, 2008, because police were alerted shots had been fired on the campus, and that gunmen were seen in a building on a satellite campus.

School officials immediately activated the campus emergency warning system to tell students and employees to remain indoors. Thankfully, an “all clear” signal was issued about two hours later after police searched the campus and found no threats.

While police didn't find any evidence that a shooting had occurred, V.P. for Student Affairs Howard Bailey, said that campus officials didn’t regret activating the campus emergency warning system by sending a series of text and e-mail messages and using a loudspeaker to broadcast alerts.

In a news conference the next day, University President Gary Ransdell said he was very pleased that the emergency communication system worked and that officials responded quickly: “The situation provided a real test of Western’s crisis communication system, and it prevailed.”

Mr. Ransdell even sent an e-mail message to parents praising the campuses response.

When time is of the essence and safety is the priority, the emergency communications system that the campus implemented worked efficiently and effectively. And while we hope we never have to use CME to respond to an incident as serious as this, we know that it can help fulfill the need of school officials to respond proactively and do everything they could to do to keep their campus safe.

When the School Bus Is Late...

If you’ve ever waited for a late school bus to bring your kids home, you know how fast the anxiety and worry can start to build with every minute. Five minutes goes by, then 10, then 15. And finally, you see the big yellow bus lumbering down the road. Now, imagine you had to wait for an hour, or even 2, without knowing where your kids are.

This happened last winter in Waterbury, Connecticut. According to The Republican-American newspaper, a sudden snow squall in December of 2007 left about 900 city children stranded on school buses, some until 10 p.m. Parents of students, some as young as 3, were unaware of the bus delays because there was no reliable system of notification.

What a nightmare for those parents, as well as those school secretaries and administrators that were no doubt fielding tons of phones calls from worried and upset parents.

The chief operating officer for the Waterbury school district said that this incident “prompted the need for a quicker way to notify parents." Since then, the district has implemented a state-of-the-art emergency notification system.

With the technology available today, there’s no reason for incidents like the one in Waterbury to happen! Parents can be notifiied immediately of any problems with instant communications systems like CME. We are ready to help school districts implement a secure, reliable system that can give parents peace of mind when school buses are delayed, or other threats or situations require immediate attention. And with winter weather headed our way soon, now is the perfect time to implement a system that makes instant communication easy and affordable.

Mark & Michelle Visit Extreme Makeover Home Edition Build Site

As a sponsor of the Extreme Home Makeover Edition, Mark and I were were lucky enough to receive VIP passes to the sponsor tent last evening. The sponsor tent was located directly across the street from the home build and during our visit, we got to see hundreds of volunteers in action. And, yes, Mark even spotted a few stars on site. Ty Pennington and Michael Maloney made brief appearances around 8:30 last evening.

Energy levels were high as hundreds of volunteers lined up, surrounded by ABC filming crews, to unload truckload after truckload of furniture, accessories, and appliances for the home. From toasters, to bamboo trees, armories, chairs, couches, rugs, and mirrors, volunteers eagerly awaited their chance to carry in items to be placed in the home.

While we were not allowed to enter the home, we did get to snap pictures of the outside and boy, was that a site to see. Truly amazing to see what 2,500 volunteers were able to accomplish in just 6 short days.

The show is set to air sometime between December and January so we'll all have to stay turned to see the final outcome. But, I can say this for sure...the well-deserving Gries' family is pretty darn lucky.

Establishing Response-Level Emergency Communications

The Department of Homeland Security knows the importance of communication in emergency and disaster situations. Officials learned this first-hand during the attacks on 9-11 and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. As a result of those lessons, Office of Emergency Communications has defined a National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP) that identifies ways in which emergency response personnel at all levels can communicate on demand.

“The NECP enhances governance, planning, technology, training and exercises, and disaster communications capabilities with recommendations and milestones for emergency responders and relevant government officials,” the department said in a press release.

One of those milestones requires 75% of all jurisdictions to have the capability to establish response-level emergency communications within three hours of a significant event by 2013.

The Department defines response-level emergency communication as “the capacity of individuals with primary operational leadership responsibility to manage resources and make timely decisions during a multi-agency incident without technical or procedural communications impediments.”

DHS recognizes that the private sector will be an important resource to support emergency communications and advanced technologies. CME stands ready to accept this challenge! The kind of technology that will help local and rural government entities carry out a communications strategy and reach this readiness state is already available at CME.

We are working hard to help local governments and especially rural response agencies leverage the technology to ensure that communication flows smoothly even in times of confusion and disruption. And while different agencies may use a variety of radio systems and frequencies, most have the ability to receive text messages, voice messages, and e-mails, and have access to a computer to view Web site alerts.

CME is proud to have the ability to serve in this capacity and takes the responsibility seriously. You can depend on us for reliable service and quick implementation.

CME Contributes to "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" Project

What an exciting opportunity for CME!! "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" is coming to Peoria, Illinois, and CME is participating in the massive volunteer effort. We are donating access to our 4-in-1 broadcast communication system so project coordinators can quickly send updates, instructions, requests, etc. to the over 1,000 volunteers that are involved.

If you watch this television show, you know that builders take on the ambitious task of building a brand new home in just 7 days. Volunteers team up with show designers and builders and work around the clock until the project is finished.

In this project, time is of the essence, and CME is THE PERFECT solution to ensure that all 1,000+ volunteers stay informed of the latest news. Our broadcast text messaging capabilities will reach those that are on-site and not near a computer to receive an e-mail. Coordinators can also send messages from the building site by calling our 24/7 concierge service. Information can be sent and received immediately.

We invite you to follow the progress of the project. The surprise "door knock" will happen today, and then a flurry of activity will follow. Visit http://www.designbuilthomesextreme.com/index_n.htm to learn more about the amazing teamwork involved in this effort, and follow the latest news and donate at http://www.extremehomemakeoveril.com/.

Political Communications

If you’ve ever ran for public office, you know just how important it is to get your message out to voters. Political campaign messages need to be timely, factual, and responsive. And they need to permeate the information sources of voters.

When you have the ability to quickly communicate with your supporters and potential constituents, you can stay on top of the fast moving media messages that could define your campaign’s character, the pertinent issues of the day, and even your personal integrity. These are the things that voters will be watching, and you owe it to yourself to be ready to communicate directly with the voters.

With a broadcast communication system at your fingertips, you have the ability to reach out through text message, phone message, and e-mail. You can respond to comments from your opponent, correct misinformation or misunderstandings distributed through the media, and remind your supporters of rallies, public appearances, debates, and volunteer opportunities. You can initiate the conversation and set the agenda for your campaign.

Your campaign will show voters that you are responsive, informed, in touch with the issues, and a technological guru! CME can be the foundation for your communication strategies for your campaign. Contact us to find out how we can help!

And when Election Day finally arrives, that day that you’ve invested so much time and money to get to, you can send out that all important message – “Vote Today!”

Gathering Your Contacts' Information

Have you ever had to replace your entire contact list in your cell phone or e-mail list? Many of us have become so dependent on the ease of accessing this information, that we no longer bother to physically write down our contacts. We simply store them in our phone or computer and hit a couple of buttons when we want to communicate.

If you have ever lost that information, you know what a pain it can be to replace it – especially if you don’t have an easily accessible phone list or address book to use for reference. You’ll spend hours personally contacting family and friends, looking through business cards, and searching the phone book.

Communications Made Easy has a better, easier solution. Building your contact list with our system can be accomplished in a number of ways with minimal effort. And your list is secure and stored in a reliable place. You won’t lose it.

We can make a sign up form on your alert notification Web site (this comes free as a CME customer) where users can input their contact information and the way they wish to receive notifications. That way, you’re getting the information direct from the source. CME understands that sometimes, your list will include people that you don’t directly know, so need a simple way to help people give you the information you need to stay in touch.

Another option – send out a print mailing advertising the service and include a sign up form that can be filled out and mailed back. The information would then be input by a designated employee.

Once the information has been loaded into your CME account, messages can be sent in 1 or more modalities. For non-critical messages, you may wish to simply send out an e-mail notification. Or, in times of emergency, you may wish to send the message out in 2, 3, or all 4 ways.

All message recipients get an individual account with a unique log in and password so they can set up their communication preferences. This is all done automatically by our propriety software...you won't ever have to set up the account log ins or passwords for each recipient. They simply log in and set up their individual preference of how they would like to receive their communication (via Web, e-mail, text and/or auto dialer) after you have set up the account.

If you plan on sending out non-critical messages mainly by e-mail, we suggest you notify your recipients to enable their accounts to receive the messages sent via e-mail. This way, their e-mail systems won’t view your important messages as SPAM.

Communication is Central

During the month of September, the federal government encourages all families and businesses to review their disaster plans. What will do in case of an emergency?

The site, www.ready.gov, has lots of helpful information that will help you prepare for unexpected events. It has sections for kids, businesses, and America's families in general. We encourage you to visit the site for helpful print outs and worksheets that you can use to organize information and plan to keep your family safe.

Under the business section, owners and managers will find lots of information to help their employees prepare and know what to do. The first advice on the Web site – Communication is central! Here’s what it says:

Two-way communication is central before, during and after a disaster.

• Include emergency preparedness information in newsletters, on company intranet, periodic employee emails and other internal communications tools.
• Consider setting up a telephone calling tree, a password-protected page on the company Web site, an email alert or a call-in voice recording to communicate with employees in an emergency.

(from http://www.ready.gov/business/plan/emerplanning.html)

Communications Made Easy is the perfect solution for following this advice!! We serve as the crucial link between owners and managers and employees in emergency and disaster situations. We will be your calling tree, set up your e-mail alert, and display important information on specially-designed and secure webpage for your convenience.

We know employers aren’t thinking about how to carry out these important tasks during an emergency – but we are. Call us today and we can help you implement an emergency communication plan for your business!

Communications Made Easy Just Right For Schools

Elementary, middle school, and high school teachers and administrators know that parents trust their kids to them every school day. So, a significant part their responsibilities involves communicating with parents, keeping them informed of school activities, student performance, safety issues, school closings, and a variety of other issues.

Schools frequently use newsletters or send notes home, and many have Web sites to provide parents with another resource for keeping up-to-date on school activities. Those are great tools, but they mostly require the parent to take the initiative to read them. When schools have important information that they need to distribute quickly and make sure parents read, they need a more proactive, dynamic form of communication.

School officials can really benefit from having the ability to send e-mails, text messages, phone calls, and keep a Web site updated simultaneously with one simple action. With the services provided by Communications Made Easy, schools can really enhance the way they communication with parents.

• Teachers can inform parents of upcoming tests or projects so parents can ensure their students are ready.
• Administrators can remind parents of upcoming school board meetings, PTA events, curriculum nights, parent/teacher’s conferences, and other activities that will encourage parents to get involved in education
• Teachers can send notes about items that should be brought to school for a special event or project.
• Administrators can send an instant message about school closings and early dismissals due to weather or other unexpected events.
• Bus services can send out an immediate announcement about a possible delay in picking up or dropping off children.
• School nurses can advise parents about health and immunization records that need to be kept current.

One of the greatest things about using Communications Made Easy is its easy and flexible application. It was designed to fit a variety of needs and to grow with users as they find more ways to implement it. With scalable features and affordable pricing, teachers and school administrators can use it when instant communication is critical, or when it’s simply a convenience that will save them time and effort.

Implementing An Emergency Broadcast System On College Campuses

We’ve all been touched by several school shootings in recent years, and safety college and university campuses is always on the minds of administrators, educators, parents, and students. With today’s technology, it’s possible to get emergency information out to students and faculty within minutes of a threatening event. Officials can give life-saving instructions to thousands on campus with one simple phone call or e-mail.

The Jeanne Clery Act is federal legislation that requires college and universities to disclose information about crime on campus and the surrounding neighborhoods. It is named for university freshman student, Jeanne Clery, who was sexually assaulted and murdered in her residence hall room in 1986.

The legislation was amended this year to require all college and university campuses in the U.S. to have in their written safety plan, a description of their emergency broadcast communication system and specific procedures. Administrators and security staff must specifically explain how they plan to communicate with their students in the event of an emergency.

A calling tree by phone is not efficient and will not be timely.

E-mail may be an option, but it won’t effectively reach enough people by itself.

Text messaging may be possible, but distributing it to thousands in a timely manner is challenging.

Posting an announcement on your Web site will take time that you don’t have and only inform people who log on to your site at that particular moment.

But put all four of these together simultaneously, and you have one powerful emergency broadcast system. You will reach as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time.

By making Communications Made Easy an integral part of your campus safety plan, you will have a reliable emergency broadcast system that is accessible 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. Our services make it easy to comply with the new amendments to the Clery Law and give students and faculty the peace of mind to know that they will have the information they need to protect themselves a campus emergency.

We urge you to contact us today to find out more about our services and affordable plans.

Deliver Your Message with Communications Made EasyTM

Communication is the one thing you do every day that connects you to your environment and the people around you. It impacts your routine, your relationships, and your activities. You rely on communication for almost everything.

The ability to communicate with others is a basic element of life, so it’s no surprise that civilizations have, over the years, developed a number of different ways to deliver their messages to the people who needed to hear them. Just look at how message delivery has evolved in the United States alone:

• Telegraph & Morse code – first used in the United States in 1837
• Pony Express - from April 3, 1860 until October, 1861
• Telephone – the first successful use is commonly attributed to Alexander Graham Bell in July 1875 (although this has been disputed)
• Fax machines – the forerunner of today’s fax machine was introduced in 1924, although machines that used a computer fax board weren’t developed until 1985
• E-mail – the concept was first demonstrated at MIT in 1961; it was between users of a mainframe computer in 1965; and the “@” symbol was introduced in 1971
• Cell phones – in the United States, the FCC approved the first mobile phone in 1983
• Text messaging - The first commercial SMS message was sent in the United Kingdom on December 3, 1992. Today, about 40% of the United States’ 220 million mobile phone users send text messages regularly, according to research from NPD Group.

Technology has definitely evolved to help us keep pace with the fast moving world around us. And with this fast pace comes the need to get your message out quickly and easily so it reaches your audience in a convenient, timely manner. You certainly don’t have time to tap out dots and dashes anymore!

Communications Made Easy^TM is a communications firm that combines technology with expediency. We understand that many people hold positions or have responsibilities that require them to have a quick and easy way get their message to a large number of people at any given time. So, we’ve developed an easy-to-use and dependable method to help you do just that.

Schools, universities, organizations, employers, clubs, coaches, event organizers – whoever is in charge of communicating with a group of people – can partner with Communications Made Easy^TM to get their message out. Simply go to one Web site, or make one phone call, and you’re message will be distributed as soon as you need it.

Leverage the power and wide-reaching scope of today’s technology! Visit us at www.communicationsmadeeasy.com.

*Note: Dates listed above are from Wikipedia, www.wikipedia.com.