With workplace safety becoming a paramount concern for corporations dealing with growing and diverse populations, Chief Operating Officer Christopher Britton of RockDove Solutions forecasts that intelligent smartphone safety solutions will take center stage in 2015 as the driving force for emergency preparedness and business continuity needs.
“While some organizations have begun to make the shift from paper-based emergency plans to mobilized ones, mobile emergency preparedness technologies are rapidly evolving to address the needs of corporations concerned about overcoming crisis situations and empowering employees with the right information at the right time at the touch of a button,” says Britton. “Security advancements along with critical features to address the growing BYOD phenomenon, as well as accessibility functionality to enable a safer workplace across the globe, will be instrumental in the mainstream enterprise adoption next year.”
Following are Britton’s top predictions regarding the rise of mobilization for business continuity and emergency management in 2015:
1) Traditional Alert Services Will Become Obsolete – Traditional alert services offering an effective way to deal with an audience requiring diverse communication channels, e.g., phones, fax machines, email and SMS are quickly becoming obsolete, as the population is moving into a smartphone world. Smartphones enable organizations to simplify communication with their often diverse populations.
2) Next Generation Security Features and BYOD Phenomenon – As employees use personal mobile devices including tablets and smartphones, more than ever, mobile apps and the device manufacturers will face increased expectations for security and data privacy to mitigate any potential vulnerabilities. Substantial investment and progress will continue as a new generation of mobile solutions offering enterprise-class security comes onto the market combined with mobile operating systems providing data encryption services.
3) Extending Business Continuity Beyond the Back-Office – Traditionally, most business continuity and management planning tools (BCMP) have been back-office solutions. With advancement in security and mobile technology, companies will be able to more effectively educate and prepare the general employee population for disasters and foster personal and corporate resiliency.
4) Accessibility for Disabilities and Language – As inclusive hire practices and global/multinational companies and supply chains have become the status quo, business continuity and emergency planning professionals will look to accessible safety and emergency information as a top priority. Advancements in mobile technology – particularly to support communities of multiple languages and disabilities will afford organizations the ability to better care for the safety and well-being of their employee population.
5) Dynamic Delivery of Content – Look for new technologies that don’t rely solely on Internet, such as beacon solutions, to offer dynamic delivery of content, particularly when cellular and Wi-Fi communications are down during an emergency. These mobile-enabled applications will yield critical communication and response capabilities in the event of a crisis.
About RockDove Solutions and In Case of Crisis
RockDove Solutions offers enterprise-class business continuity and emergency management mobile solutions. RockDove Solutions’ flagship product In Case of Crisis is an award-winning mobile solution that helps institutions and their safety professionals’ better care for the well-being of their people by offering easy and secure access to institutional-specific emergency procedures and safety guidelines. The fully secure and customizable mobile solution brings organizations’ unique content to life on the Apple iOS, Android, BlackBerry Passport and Kindle Fire devices. RockDove Solutions is a privately-held company headquartered in Herndon, Va. For more information visit http://www.rockdovesolutions.com.