Madison, Wis – Apr. 5, 2021 – Singlewire Software has been issued patent 10,742,512, “System and Method for Multicast Mapping” by the U.S. Patent Office. It describes a method to use an existing device on an IP network, such as a desktop, phone, or server, to create a map of how to pass multicast traffic on that network. The patent protects the idea that a cloud service could be created to pass a unicast data stream to that device on an IP network and have that device determine how it is passed to other devices via multicast.
“We’re always striving to be on the cutting edge of advancements when it comes to safety and communication,” said Paul Shain, president and CEO of Singlewire Software. “This patent emphasizes our continued leadership driving for more effective mass notification.”
The patent will be applied to the future development of the company’s InformaCast mass notification software. InformaCast utilizes multicast audio streams to reach multiple devices simultaneously with important safety information. Devices tied to an organization’s network, including IP phones, IP speakers, desktop computers, and more can be used to share audio alerts. This will complement InformaCast’s other notification features that reach mobile devices with text messages, email, and push notifications.
“Audio broadcasts offer a more intrusive way to get people’s attention when sending mass notifications,” said Shain. “This technology will essentially make it easier for our users to send audio broadcasts to more places than ever before.”
During the September 11th attacks, leaders from a U.S. federal agency tried — and failed — to evacuate people from their facility. They reached out to Singlewire Software requesting a solution that would be easy to use, could manage 250 separate paging zones, and wouldn’t bring the phone system down. We developed InformaCast to help solve this issue and were awarded our first patent for the innovative solutions it included. That agency became our first client and is still a client today.
Many of the same engineers who created InformaCast mass notification software still work on our development team. Over the years, they’ve evolved InformaCast into a powerful system for emergency mass notification, bi-directional mobile alerting, situational awareness, and workplace optimization.
About Singlewire Software
Singlewire Software, based in Madison, Wis., is the developer of InformaCast, a leading software solution for fast and reliable emergency notifications. More than 7,000 organizations in over 50 countries use InformaCast for emergency notifications and IP phone paging. Whether it’s an active shooter, severe weather, or another crisis situation, InformaCast helps reach the right people, with the right information, to increase awareness, safety, and security.
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