Monday’s inauguration was a historic day in this nation as Barack Obama began his second term as President of the United States. Close to one million people showed up to watch the president get sworn in and enjoy the festivities. In events of this magnitude, it’s easy for people to lose track of what’s going on and where they are, which is why a text alert program was initiated.
To keep people informed about the upcoming events during the day and where they were being held, the U.S. Park Police launched a system designed to send text messages to registered users. This served as a valuable tool for people who wanted to attend some of the more popular events of the day but didn’t know where they were being held and at what time. It also provided up-to-the-second updates on venue changes, cancelations or any other information pertinent to the recipient.
Sergeant Paul Brooks spoke with WTOP in Washington prior to the event about the benefits of the service.
“It is all about notifications throughout the day that will assist people [with] the most up-to-date information,” Brooks said.
The system was also designed to serve as a safety tool. For instance, in a crowd of one million, it’s easy for someone – particularly a small child – to get lost. But a simple emergency text sent to a large group of users can easily help locate anyone missing or in danger.
This just goes to show the value of text alerts at major events. Most attendees likely own mobile phones, so sending these messages is an effective way to keep the large gathering of people organized, thus alleviating the risk of any serious incident. Swift SMS Gateway offers the tools needed to orchestrate a text alert campaign.
