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Sydney Region & The SMS Engine. Parent and Staff Alert System. Stuart Hasic – June 2007. Sending SMS Messages from a PC. Mobile phones are everywhere. More people use SMS than use e-mail
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Sydney Region & The SMS Engine Parent and Staff Alert System Stuart Hasic – June 2007
Sending SMS Messages from a PC • Mobile phones are everywhere. More people use SMS than use e-mail • Companies, organisations and schools have realised that SMS is an effective method for communicating with their customers, members and community • Using databases of clients you can send SMS texts from a computer to groups of individuals • This has opened a new path for better, more timely and relevant direct communication
Common Uses of SMS Messages • The sporting association can send an SMS text to all club leaders to advise of ground closures. • The Auto Dealership can send SMS texts to remind customers that their regular service is due. • The school can send SMS texts to parents to advise that their child has not arrived at school.
Parent Notification Systems • Schools are now using SMS as a method of combating truancy as well as general parent notifications such as: • Sick bay alerts, upcoming P&C meetings, sending telephone messages to staff, finding the GA and contacting casuals • Schools that have adopted one of these parent-alert solutions are reporting major decreases in truancy of between 50 and 80% • There are several different solutions available but the upfront and ongoing costs make them unaffordable for many schools
Sydney Region’s SMS Option • By utilising the buying power of Sydney Region, we have negotiated an SMS service for our schools with: • No setup or monthly fees (call costs only) • Cheapest possible SMS calls at 8.8c each • Free powerful Windows and Web software that imports data from OASIS • No expiry of SMS credits • SMS Replies to school email account and to an SMS Inbox at the website • http://sitwww.det.nsw.edu.au/sr/smsengine
Term 2 SMS Trial • The following schools have been participating in a Sydney Region trial: • McCallums Hill PS • James Cook BHS • Dulwich HS • Kingsgrove HS • Any other interested school is now welcome to start using The SMS Engine • [SMS Demonstration]