The pandemic has shown the importance of being prepared for unexpected emergencies, and has given emergency communications systems a new role in helping people in the commercial and educational worlds.

SimpliSafe, creator of home security solutions, announced a multi-year partnership with RapidSOS, an emergency response platform developer, to improve emergency response during an alarm event. 

RapidSOS has announced the RapidSOS Partner Network, a community of public safety software companies that deliver their product offerings through the RapidSOS Portal. 

La Cité, Ontario’s largest French-language college, recently upgraded parking lot security on its main Ottawa campus with the installation of 15 IX Series 2 video intercom assistance (or emergency) towers from Aiphone.

Viking Electronics Inc. released its new 2020 Product Catalog. The catalog features many new innovations, as well as Viking’s core products — such as emergency phones, door entry systems, paging amplifiers, mass notification systems, hot line phones, and more. The catalog is a comprehensive “go-to” resource offering ideas and custom solutions from access control to zone paging and everything in between.

Intercoms for security have changed in recent years, particularly with the advent of IP, mobile apps and increased integration. But other things have changed the intercom as well.

Edwards, a provider of life safety and emergency communication solutions, has put out a video explaining the changes coming to commercial smoke detector tests — specifically UL 268, 7th edition.

If you want to see how far technology has come with emergency communication and notification capabilities, look no further than Virginia Tech, a university campus that experienced two shooting events.