Sheridan Institute Deploys First Of Its Kind Emergency Notification System

Utilizing Cisco and UNIS LUMIN technology, Sheridan introduces an innovative response system to alert and help protect students, faculty and staff.

For Immediate Release: June 16, 2009
Oakville, Ontario

Sheridan Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning today announced the successful deployment of an automated, comprehensive security and safety notification system based on Cisco Unified Communications technology.  The system, called SIREN (Sheridan Incident Response and Emergency Notification) is the first of its kind in North America.
Sheridan serves approximately 15,000 full-time students across three campuses located in Oakville and Brampton. SIREN is designed to ensure that, in the event of an emergency or security situation, the college is able to quickly and efficiently assess the situation, speed executive decision-making and notify the Sheridan community.  

The ability to collaborate and share information quickly is key to the success of the newly implemented system. By leveraging Sheridan’s network infrastructure, the Cisco Unified Application Environment (UAE) and custom applications and integration from UNIS LUMIN, Sheridan is able to effectively and efficiently share information in a number of ways.

In the event of a potential, imminent or actual emergency, the system is activated and students, faculty, staff and visitors in select locations or across all three of Sheridan’s campuses will be alerted immediately via:

• Cisco Unified IP Phones: Text-to-speech messages can be sent to the phones located in each office, classroom and throughout the campuses
• Digital signage: Located across all campuses, emergency teams can broadcast audio or text updates
• Paging systems: Important information and updates can be broadcast throughout all campuses or in select zones
• Text messages: Information can be sent to cell phones, PDAs and email accounts
• Sheridan website:  messages can be instantly posted to the home page.
• SIREN will also automatically connect members of the Sheridan Executive Team through a conference bridge line.

This technology solution positions Sheridan as an innovative leader in the adoption of Cisco Unified Communications and Cisco Unified Application Environment technologies.  Cisco UAE is a rich portfolio of ready-to-use packaged applications that allows customers to integrate unified communications into other business applications, as well as build custom applications.  

Highlights/Key Facts:

• Sheridan Institute has launched a new, fully integrated Sheridan Incident Response and Emergency Notification System (SIREN) to inform and help protect students, faculty and staff across its three campuses.
• The emergency system, based on Cisco Unified Communications, runs on the Cisco Unified Application Environment with a custom application and integration from UNIS LUMIN.
• This implementation is the first Cisco UAE application of its kind in North America.
• Collaboration and sharing information is a core component of the newly implemented system, providing the Sheridan community with information immediately in a variety of ways.
• In the case of a natural disaster, severe weather situation, violent incident, fire or medical emergency, the system may be activated to inform and direct the Sheridan community and help assist in the coordinated response to the incident. 
• Once triggered, students, faculty, staff and visitors from across all three of Sheridan’s campuses or in select locations will immediately be alerted via Cisco Unified IP Phones in each office/classroom; digital signage; paging systems; and email and text-to-speech messaging.
• The Sheridan Executive Team will be proactively contacted in the event of an incident, automatically connecting all parties to a conference bridge line.
• Sheridan Institute, a leading adopter of technology in the education space, was one of Cisco’s first IP telephony customers in Canada in 2000.  SIREN leverages Sheridan’s long-standing investment in Cisco Unified Communications, further demonstrating the scalabity and flexibility of the platform.

Quotes:

• Robert Turner, President, Sheridan Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning

"Sheridan is committed to helping protect and ensuring the welfare of our entire community. Sheridan was an early adopter of unified communications technology and was one of Cisco’s first IP telephony customers in Canada.  With the implementation of this new system based on innovative technology from Cisco and UNIS LUMIN, we are taking advantage of that investment to ensure we’re readily prepared should the unexpected occur."

• Jeff Seifert, CTO, Cisco Canada

“Sheridan Institute has demonstrated a proactive and innovative approach to emergency and security response. This unique application of the Cisco UAE solution layered on top of the College’s existing Cisco network and Unified Communications platform is a North American first, setting a strong example of how Cisco Unified Communications can be used to bring safety and assurance to schools and other organizations."

• Mauro Lollo, CTO, UNIS LUMIN

“UNIS LUMIN is proud to be a part of this North American ‘first’, demonstrating Sheridan’s responsiveness and innovative approach to ensuring their community’s safety.  By combining UNIS LUMIN’s advanced application engineering skills with Cisco’s Unified Application Environment, Sheridan has invested in a scalable, sophisticated and unique community awareness system."

Tags/Keywords:

Sheridan Institute, Cisco, UNIS LUMIN, campus security, emergency notification, unified communications, Cisco Unified Application Environment, SIREN

Links/URLS

• Learn more about the Cisco Unified Application Environment
• Learn more about Cisco unified communications solutions

Contact Information

Cisco
Karin Scott  
kariscot@cisco.com  416 306-7164

Andrea Berry  
andberry@cisco.com  416 961-5595 x428

Sheridan College 
Susan Atkinson
susan.atkinson@sheridanc.on.ca  905 845-9430 x2096

UNIS LUMIN
Lesley Morris
lmorris@unislumin.com  905 847-6800 x5228