How to Leverage Bulk SMS for Critical Notifications
Today’s businesses cannot run at email’s pace. When you need fast, reliable communications in case of incidents, SMS alerts are a great way to contact the right people at the right time.
Texting has become a natural way for us to communicate in personal and business situations. With an average open rate of 98%, SMS is the go-to channel when information has to be shared quickly, and to multiple people at once, from emergency situations to IT server downtime. Bulk SMS enables companies to reach out to large groups of people with relevant, targeted messages with only one API request, either with scheduled or incident-triggered SMS messages.
Emergency alerts and mass notifications
“Mission-critical” SMS is the most efficient tool for simultaneously alerting people in case of an emergency. SMS messages can be easily used as a mass notification method, as speed, simplicity and reliability are required in critical situations. In addition, SMS can be read multiple times, which is vital when double checking details, re-reading directions or identifying follow-up procedures.
A great example of the power of bulk SMS is how emergency communication provider AlarmTILT, a product brand of M-PLIFY, uses SMS in alert management and mission-critical communications. AlarmTILT uses all available channels, including SMS, to call, invite, organize, synchronize and inform groups of people and manage real-time responses and acknowledgements, backed by tyntec’s bulk SMS API.
One way AlarmTILT utilizes SMS is how it powers the Luxembourg Government’s Highway Department manages its communication with personnel in charge of clearing the roads. For example, if there is snow or ice on the roads or a tree has fallen, the Highway Department notifies staff members via different channels, such as SMS, enabling the staff to immediately travel to the scene to rectify the problem.
IT incident alerts
When an IT issue arises, companies must communicate with different groups of people in a timely manner, and in a consistent way. Many technology companies still use email as the channel of choice to alert employees on IT-related issues. Though the use of email might be suitable for a non-IT worker, it’s not the right way to contact IT staff to correct the issue, especially considering that the average email open rate is less than 25%.
To minimize the impact of IT system downtime, the right IT staff has to be engaged as quickly as possible and stakeholders have to be informed immediately. SMS, as part of a multichannel approach, is the ideal tool to automate outreach to on-call personnel and escalate communications in case of major disruptions.
In addition to alerts, SMS can be used as a two-way communication tool, allowing IT workers to reply and give status updates. Because SMS can be easily integrated into your Incident Management or IT Help Desk system, it’s easy to track who’s taking care of the issue, the progress and whether escalation is needed. And all of this within seconds.
Build it easily
Incident communications (emergency-like or IT-related) have to be fast and reliable. They have to easily scale to support mass notifications in a global or local way. Integrating SMS into multimodal communications to easily reach the right people is more efficient, flexible and faster than emails.
Companies looking into SMS notifications will find many bulk SMS API providers. What’s really important to consider is the performance of your bulk SMS provider in terms of delivery and conversion rates, global reach, speed and reliability. With one of the largest communication platforms worldwide, tyntec provides a powerful SMS REST API that integrates more than 1,200 networks in 200 countries around the world. That means your developers can build the SMS notification workflows they need without wasting time with telecom logistics.
Is your business ready to use SMS notifications? To start sending SMS alerts, visit the tyntec SMS page or contact us.
