Sage Alerting Systems and Global Security Systems are two notable players in the alerting business. Now the two companies are working together, expanding their respective offerings to organizations that build new alerting infrastructures.
Sage makes alerting equipment including EAS gear. GSS is a systems integrator, satellite service provider and manufacturer of an FM radio-based alert system. Under this agreement, Sage can offer dissemination of emergency alerts through the GSSNet Satellite Network in addition to Internet delivery and station-to-station relay capabilities.
The companies said a regional installation in Texas is the first product of their partnership. The project will provide data delivery to various transmitter sites. The project, at South Texas Public Broadcasting System, involves satellite delivery to FM transmitters, plus FM-based distribution pathways via both audio and RBDS text.
The suppliers are positioning their combined offerings — which include the Sage Digital ENDEC, the GSSNet satellite delivery network and CAP origination tools — as an “end-to-end CAP source, transport and broadcast dissemination system.” The announcement was made by Harold Price, president of Sage, and Robert Adams, president/CEO of GSS.
They said benefits include addressable satellite delivery of CAP-originated EAS audio and EAS text messages for radio broadcasters; dissemination of first-generation digital audio and text for display on any FM receiver with RBDS; and HD Radio compatibility. Geo-targeted emergency information including National Weather Service, local, state and federal messages is included. Alert FM receivers can be added to provide text and audio delivery with sounders and flashing lights for disabled, elderly, home and business use.
GSS will disseminate emergency alerts through its satellite systems and send text and audio to devices with an FM receiver chip. FM-based RBDS alerts are added to the FM audio alert.
