Recent News
August 24, 2018
iSIGN Announces Progress Towards First Canadian Smart City Integration
In a meeting held today, it was agreed between all parties that iSIGN's Security Alert Messaging ("SAM") and Smart Antennas would be scheduled for integration into the city's emergency vehicles commencing mid-September. Selected emergency personnel are chosen and scheduled for SAM registration to prioritize messages and gain performance impact and public response data.
iSIGN has pursued Smart City initiatives in partnership and co-operation with its insurance representative to add details on safety and benefit choices to city emergency and management teams.
We are engaged with several cities and news will follow as courses are confirmed.
iSIGN has pursued Smart City initiatives in partnership and co-operation with its insurance representative to add details on safety and benefit choices to city emergency and management teams.
We are engaged with several cities and news will follow as courses are confirmed.
August 10, 2018
Chile Update
Our Chilean reseller has been invited to present SAM to The National Emergency Office of the Ministry of the Interior and Public Security at a meeting scheduled for Friday, August 24. This government agency is the technical agency responsible for the co-ordination of the National Civil Protection System, with a mission to plan, promote, articulate and execute prevention, response and rehabilitation actions in the face of situations of collective risk, emergencies, disasters and catastrophes of natural origin or caused by human action.
The purpose of the meeting is to review the capabilities of SAM as well as its many benefits that it can provide to the country and to initiate discussions on its applications and integration into the existing Chile's existing emergency alert network. Interest in SAM was fostered by the work that our reseller has been doing within the mining industry in Chile.
The Chilean mine has finalized its selection of the employees and management to be involved in their pilot project. The registration process for these individuals to receive messages is to be completed during the week of August 13, with the pilot starting on August 20.
The purpose of the meeting is to review the capabilities of SAM as well as its many benefits that it can provide to the country and to initiate discussions on its applications and integration into the existing Chile's existing emergency alert network. Interest in SAM was fostered by the work that our reseller has been doing within the mining industry in Chile.
The Chilean mine has finalized its selection of the employees and management to be involved in their pilot project. The registration process for these individuals to receive messages is to be completed during the week of August 13, with the pilot starting on August 20.
July 25, 2018
Chilean Mine Update
A meeting with the executive staff of the Chilean mine has been set for later this afternoon. The purpose of this meeting is to introduce the back-end dashboard created specifically for the mine's use; review the employee registration process and the process for the creation and sending of messages.
This pilot project will allow the mine executives to familiarize themselves with the operation and management of the Security Alert Messaging ("SAM") technology and back-end system. Specifically it will give the mine the opportunity of assessing the various methods that SAM uses to deliver messages, to determine which 'delivery system' (app, text message, email, etc.) works best in their specific environment; which methodology is consistently the first to deliver messages to employees; etc. Additionally it will enable them to experience the entire process from registration of employees through the sending of messages and back-end recording and reporting of the results of the messaging.
This pilot project is the result of approximately seven months of discussions and demonstrations with various groups within the mine, including IT; mid-management; HR and employee representatives. As previously announced, this pilot will be a for a maximum four-week period.
The mining company employs approximately 6,400 people in South America and 27,000 worldwide throughout their various operations.
Both iSIGN and its Chilean reseller, Smart Sign, believe that this pilot and its conclusion will help with the ongoing discussion with other mining companies in Chile.
This pilot project will allow the mine executives to familiarize themselves with the operation and management of the Security Alert Messaging ("SAM") technology and back-end system. Specifically it will give the mine the opportunity of assessing the various methods that SAM uses to deliver messages, to determine which 'delivery system' (app, text message, email, etc.) works best in their specific environment; which methodology is consistently the first to deliver messages to employees; etc. Additionally it will enable them to experience the entire process from registration of employees through the sending of messages and back-end recording and reporting of the results of the messaging.
This pilot project is the result of approximately seven months of discussions and demonstrations with various groups within the mine, including IT; mid-management; HR and employee representatives. As previously announced, this pilot will be a for a maximum four-week period.
The mining company employs approximately 6,400 people in South America and 27,000 worldwide throughout their various operations.
Both iSIGN and its Chilean reseller, Smart Sign, believe that this pilot and its conclusion will help with the ongoing discussion with other mining companies in Chile.
July 6, 2018
Canadian Smart City Progress
As previously released, iSIGN is currently involved with three Canadian cities for their Smart City desires and goals.
Our most recent meetings with one of these cities has resulted in the following next steps to be taken: (i) have approximately 80 emergency management staff and Fire Department Chiefs register to receive Security Alert Messaging ("SAM"), while step by step integration and scale up is determined; (ii) to be followed up by having the remaining approximately 800 city staff and management registered for SAM; and, (iii) the use of ten Smart Antennas to be used for various applications as well as to determine the permanent locations and total quantity of Smart Antennas required by the city to attain their Smart City goal.
Our involvement with these Smart City endeavours is supported by the city's insurance agency and brokers who understand our technology and its ability to provide timely warnings of emergency situations and directions to avoid these situations, as well as to mitigate liabilities and potential claims.
Further progress and details will be announced when possible.
July 1, 2018
Las Vegas Smart City Update
This past Friday we were advised by the partnership group involved with Las Vegas' Digital Safe City proposal that ours has been selected as a finalist. A telephone conference call of the partnership group is to be held on Monday, July 2 for discussions related to the project.
June 12, 2018
Las Vegas Smart City Update
As previously advised, the City of Las Vegas is implementing a Digital Safe City initiative, with the goal of becoming the first Smart City in the United States. To that end, the city issued a Request for Proposals ("RFP") and related Statement of Work document detailing Las Vegas' vision of a Smart City - the ability to push timely messages to citizens that promote city services and other useful information; sending alerts to apps or websites, that the individual opts into, when someone approaches or leaves as identified locations; as well as having the ability to deliver mobile security messages.
iSIGN, its reseller, Rich Multimedia Technology Inc. ("RMT") and their partner 21st Century Moves LLC ("21st Century"), joined forces with several major US technology companies to complete the RFP for submission to the city, by the city mandated date of June 12. The various companies involved in this project were chosen based on how their respective technologies fit into the city's RFP requirements; their successful involvement in bidding for other municipal RFPs, including other Smart City initiatives as well as other network wireless solution installations; and their ability to complete the overall project, should the City award the project to the group. The group consists of seven companies, including iSIGN.
The RFP submission was completed and delivered under the names of the two lead companies involved in the group with the greatest degree of deploying wide area network communications both municipal and otherwise.
iSIGN, its reseller, Rich Multimedia Technology Inc. ("RMT") and their partner 21st Century Moves LLC ("21st Century"), joined forces with several major US technology companies to complete the RFP for submission to the city, by the city mandated date of June 12. The various companies involved in this project were chosen based on how their respective technologies fit into the city's RFP requirements; their successful involvement in bidding for other municipal RFPs, including other Smart City initiatives as well as other network wireless solution installations; and their ability to complete the overall project, should the City award the project to the group. The group consists of seven companies, including iSIGN.
The RFP submission was completed and delivered under the names of the two lead companies involved in the group with the greatest degree of deploying wide area network communications both municipal and otherwise.
May 11, 2018
Canada’s Emergency Mobile Alert Network
Based on a review of a test message that was received by an individual, the alarm looked and sounded like a SAM alarm, but with a pop-up indication. The pop-up style notification had only text and limited number of words. Critically, either accidentally or intentionally deselecting the notification pop-up permanently removed the notice from the phone. Meaning that the individual could not check the message to, for example, ensure that it had been read properly or to show it to others. In SAM, notification data, with graphics, is retained within the phone's notification centre (Apple) and notification bar (Android) for later access. Until a user gets rid of the message by swiping it away within either the notification centre/bar, it stays tucked away for user access. Additionally, if users remove the message from the notification centre/bar, it will still be available with the SAM app itself.
On Wednesday May 9, test messaging of Canada's new emergency alert system continued in all provinces other than Ontario and Quebec. The problem with delivery of messages to all mobile devices that was experienced in both Quebec and Ontario continued throughout the rest of the country.
It was reported that no alerts were received on mobile devices in Quebec and that only some mobile subscribers in Ontario received the signal. System operators blamed the Quebec malfunction on a computer coding error and were still investigating what wernt wrong in Ontario.
Failure to receive messages was common in all provinces involved in the test on Wednesday and it appeared to be random as to what phone received the test message - not necessarily tied to whether or not a phone was connected to Wi-Fi or related to the phone's service provider.
Unlike Canada's Alert Ready system, iSIGN's SAM system is a location-based system that requires potential recipients of safety messages to personally register for messages and involves the receipt of a security code and confirmation of the code's receipt. This allows the location to know who has registered. Additionally, the location is responsible for all messaging being sent, thus ensuring messages are sent on a timely basis as there is no middleman involved in the process. Having control over all messaging allows the location the ability to test the system on a regular on-going basis.
On Wednesday May 9, test messaging of Canada's new emergency alert system continued in all provinces other than Ontario and Quebec. The problem with delivery of messages to all mobile devices that was experienced in both Quebec and Ontario continued throughout the rest of the country.
It was reported that no alerts were received on mobile devices in Quebec and that only some mobile subscribers in Ontario received the signal. System operators blamed the Quebec malfunction on a computer coding error and were still investigating what wernt wrong in Ontario.
Failure to receive messages was common in all provinces involved in the test on Wednesday and it appeared to be random as to what phone received the test message - not necessarily tied to whether or not a phone was connected to Wi-Fi or related to the phone's service provider.
Unlike Canada's Alert Ready system, iSIGN's SAM system is a location-based system that requires potential recipients of safety messages to personally register for messages and involves the receipt of a security code and confirmation of the code's receipt. This allows the location to know who has registered. Additionally, the location is responsible for all messaging being sent, thus ensuring messages are sent on a timely basis as there is no middleman involved in the process. Having control over all messaging allows the location the ability to test the system on a regular on-going basis.
May 11, 2018
RMT’s Office in Mexico City
Click anywhere to see photos of RMT's new sales office in Mexico City to service airports, retail and advertising clients in Mexico and parts of South America. The office is presently being staffed and finalized.
The address is Alpes 1155, Colonia Lomas de Chapultepec, C.P. 11000, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico.
The address is Alpes 1155, Colonia Lomas de Chapultepec, C.P. 11000, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico.
May 8, 2018
Canada’s New Emergency Alert System Fails Test in Quebec, Problems in Ontario
As reported by the CBC (Canada Broadcasting Corporation) yesterday (click anywhere on this post to see their report) Canada's new nation-wide emergency public alert system for mobile devices failed to reach Quebec residents and also experienced problems in Ontario. These tests were the launch of the new system that is to provide warnings of imminent safety concerns, such as tornadoes, floods, Amber Alerts or terror threats. Tests in the rest of the country are still scheduled for this coming Wednesday.
The CRTC (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission) stated that the problem occurred between emergency management in Quebec and Pelmorex Corp., the company that operates the system.
Depending on the settings, users with compatible devices were supposed to hear a tone similar to an ambulance alarm or feel a vibration for 8 seconds. While some mobile phone users reported having received an alert, others said their phone didn't emit a sound or vibrate.
Pelmorex, is working to correct the problem as soon as possible. A representative of Quebec's Public Security Ministry stated that it is unclear whether a test will be sent again once the problem is fixed, but that if a test is to be sent the public would be notified.
Unlike Canada's Alert Ready system, iSIGN's SAM system is a location-based system that requires potential recipients of safety messages to personally register for messages and involves the receipt of a security code and confirmation of the code's receipt. This allows the location to know who has registered. Additionally, the location is responsible for all messaging being sent, thus ensuring messages are sent on a timely basis as there is no middleman involved in the process. Having control over all messaging allows the location the ability to test the system on a regular on-going basis.
The CRTC (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission) stated that the problem occurred between emergency management in Quebec and Pelmorex Corp., the company that operates the system.
Depending on the settings, users with compatible devices were supposed to hear a tone similar to an ambulance alarm or feel a vibration for 8 seconds. While some mobile phone users reported having received an alert, others said their phone didn't emit a sound or vibrate.
Pelmorex, is working to correct the problem as soon as possible. A representative of Quebec's Public Security Ministry stated that it is unclear whether a test will be sent again once the problem is fixed, but that if a test is to be sent the public would be notified.
Unlike Canada's Alert Ready system, iSIGN's SAM system is a location-based system that requires potential recipients of safety messages to personally register for messages and involves the receipt of a security code and confirmation of the code's receipt. This allows the location to know who has registered. Additionally, the location is responsible for all messaging being sent, thus ensuring messages are sent on a timely basis as there is no middleman involved in the process. Having control over all messaging allows the location the ability to test the system on a regular on-going basis.