An emergency notification system is a significant investment for any organization. While safety and security should always be a top priority, the cost of implementing a system like this will always be a critical factor. But what differentiates various emergency notification vendors and how does that impact pricing?
We can’t provide a detailed rundown of pricing for every emergency notification vendor out there; as you probably already know, there are quite a few. However, in this blog post, we will outline the factors that can raise or lower the cost of an emergency notification system, and the questions to ask to ensure you’re getting the best value for your dollar.
What are you trying to do?
The question to begin with is also one of the most basic, but it can have a big impact on the price. You need to understand what your organization is trying to accomplish with this investment. Is it trying to fulfill a government requirement? If so, there may be very specific functions you need to consider regardless of how much they cost. Are you trying to reach people within a specific area, or wherever they are? This will have a big impact on price. Mobile solutions are often less expensive, but what you gain in dollars, you lose in functionality and reach.
It’s important to take an apples-to-apples approach when comparing emergency notification systems. It’s a big umbrella, but the devil is in the details. Two solutions may have the same price and be able to do mobile notifications, but it’s important to look beyond that to see exactly what that functionality entails. Does it only send SMS text messages? Or can it go beyond that and also send emails, push notifications and phone calls? What are the situation management capabilities of the system, including message confirmation, escalation and reporting? You can see how even though the price may be the same, the value is much different.