Press

Offering local organizations the ability to quickly and efficiently respond to natural disasters

(Charlotte, North Carolina), (February 11, 2020) – On February 6, 2020, a Tornado moved quickly through the heart of the city over a two-hour window, forcing schools, organizations, and businesses to coordinate a fast response. While many organizations scrambled to manage the situation, those that utilize the PunchAlert safety communications platform were able to efficiently and effectively respond to the natural disaster.

Punch has a significant presence in the Charlotte area, working with most of the private schools in the city (and some public), places of worship, YMCA’s, public venues, sports teams, commercial real-estate hubs, large companies, colleges and more.

According to Punch’s anonymized data from February 6th, over 50 distinct customer organizations at separate locations used the platform with over 16,000 individual users, handling 35 emergencies with active 2-way discussion and mass notifications for each, sending 41 announcements (non-emergency alerts), and making 21 calls to 911+™.

“As a Charlotte-based company, it was very important that we gain critical customer mass here, not only because it’s our home, but because the more local organizations that use the technology, the more effective it becomes,” said Greg Artzt, co-founder and CEO of Punch Technologies.

The 911+ calls placed during this incident allowed individuals to create real-time awareness amongst colleagues that 911 was in fact called. This alleviated redundant pressure on the 911 call centers in Charlotte that were already receiving an abundance of calls and overload on their operation during the storm. 911+ also carries a number of other benefits including precise location awareness critical for routing an emergency to the nearest call center and simultaneous notifications to family members when appropriate.

“With the help of Punch Alert, YMCA of Greater Charlotte was able to send mass communication to our staff, allowing for quick and effective activation of our emergency response action plans at 15 YMCA facilities throughout the region,” said Christy Priester, YMCA of Greater Charlotte’s association executive director of risk management. “Being able to activate our action plans on a large scale at multiple locations allowed our members, volunteers and team members to quickly get to safe areas.”

Artzt concluded from the incident: “It is our great privilege to work so closely with our partners across the country and especially in our home community of Charlotte. We will work diligently to continue learning from these partners in improving our platform so that we are even better prepared for the next similar incident that may follow.”

What's Next at Punch

Punch Technologies is also releasing a wearable, internet-connected, panic button product that connects to PunchAlert called Rescue. The new wearable platform, which comes with a base station and charging station, aims to set a new standard for reliability and performance during an emergency situation. YMCA’s in particular, have been pre-ordering the system across the country due to a very compelling, unique feature - the device automatically activates an emergency when submerged in water.

About Punch Technologies, Inc.

Punch Technologies is a Charlotte, North Carolina-based software company, and creator of the PunchAlert safety communications platform. PunchAlert gets you help and information faster by relying on the people, organizations, and official responders in your area. It is the only all-in-one mobile safety, emergency management and mass notification platform. Now with 911+, Punch enables the next generation of connectivity to 100 percent of the 911 call centers in the US and Canada via the PunchAlert app or 3rd party API’s (911+ Connect) for other service providers or product developers.

For more information visit www.punchalert.com

All-in-one safety communications platform offers businesses faster, more effective emergency management and communication

(Charlotte, North Carolina), (July 26, 2019) – Punch Technologies, Inc. and Johnson Controls have finalized an agreement to bring an innovative safety communications platform to market. The platform, which can be integrated into businesses’ existing security systems, provides the opportunity to more easily and effectively communicate with employees, emergency responders and other surrounding businesses in the event of an emergency incident. Under the terms of the agreement, Johnson Controls will be the primary distributor of PunchAlert by Punch Technologies, Inc.

"Our partnership with Johnson Controls is a tremendous step forward and is an opportunity for us to partner with a global leader in safety," said Greg Artzt, Co-founder and CEO of Punch Technologies, Inc. "We will build on this exciting relationship to deliver safety communications for a wide range of public and private enterprises, first responders, campuses, and communities.”

“In today’s always-evolving landscape of emergency events, it’s critical for businesses to have the necessary tools to easily and effectively communicate emergency plans and procedures with employees and building occupants," said Hank Monaco, vice president, marketing, Johnson Controls. “This agreement is a continuation of Johnson Controls commitment to public safety by providing enterprises with a mechanism to report and react to emergencies and a means to further bolster security systems and safety procedures.”

PunchAlert, launched in 2014, has already gained traction in the United States and Canada with both public and private organizations. The PunchAlert platform is designed to continuously innovate and solve customer pain points based on insights gained from partnerships. Building on its portfolio of offerings, Punch Technologies, Inc. will also launch Rescue, the most advanced safety wearable ever, in the first quarter of 2020.

About Punch Technologies, Inc.

Charlotte, North Carolina-based software company that is striving to give every person the power to make the world a safer place for them, their families, and their communities through efficient and integrated safety communications technologies.

PunchAlert is a robust safety communications platform. PunchAlert provides organizations of all shapes and sizes an all in one emergency management and communications solution. PunchAlert provides the opportunity to communicate internally, crowdsource content, and involve local emergency responders while providing them with real-time information and manage all communications during an emergency situation. More importantly when building a community of safety PunchAlert exceeds expectations by keeping everyone safe, informed, and connected.

911+ is an integrated feature allowing a direct connection to a 911 operator and providing an accurate location to the 911 call center with your mobile phone. 911+ Connect leverages the 911+ feature allowing it to be integrated with all connected devices or applications using a simple, yet powerful API.

About Johnson Controls

Johnson Controls is a global leader creating a safe, comfortable and sustainable world. Our 105,000 employees create intelligent buildings, efficient energy solutions and integrated infrastructure that work seamlessly together to deliver on the promise of smart cities and communities in 150 countries. Our commitment to sustainability dates back to our roots in 1885, with the invention of the first electric room thermostat. We are committed to helping our customers win everywhere, every day and creating greater value for all of our stakeholders through strategic focus on our buildings and energy growth platforms. For additional information, please visit http://www.johnsoncontrols.com or follow us @johnsoncontrols on Twitter.

CONTACTS:

Ryan Nolan Global Public Relations Program Manager, Johnson Controls
Ryan.P.Nolan@jci.com
414-524-6170

Ashley Davis VP Community Engagement, PunchAlert
ashley@punchalert.com
980-785-2253

Ever since we started putting the PunchAlert platform in place, we’ve always strived to integrate with whatever systems our customers already had in place. That effort or commitment has not changed.

One area that we’ve never been able to focus on or promote, is Digital Signage. We’ve been asked about it many times, but the landscape wasn’t clear enough for us to really focus on and pursue. That recently changed. We were asked by an enterprise prospect, which ones (digital signage) we supported; and we offered up two. Those solutions/integrations were driven by our customers and the integrations were done by them as well.

We made a command decision to officially and formally partner with a Digital Signage company and offer the integration natively on the PunchAlert platform.

When we started reviewing the Digital Signage landscape, there were a few frontrunners, but none as elegant or easy to work with as Rise Vision (risevision.com). Several of our existing customers had hacked together solutions that worked for them, but we wanted to make it easier and, well, more integrated. So, we’ve done just that. We are very proud to announce our partnership and support for Rise Vision Digital Signage.

If you are in the market for a Digital Signage product, or maybe looking to upgrade your existing digital signage, we strongly encourage you to give Rise Vision a look and try it out; you will not be disappointed.

https://www.risevision.com/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Apr 25 2016

Media Contact: Molly Antos
Email: media@punchalert.com

YMCA of Greater Charlotte Activates Mobile Emergency Communication Platform at all Locations Following Success in Initial Test Location

CHARLOTTE, NC, Apr 25 2016 –

Today, Punch Technologies announced that all Charlotte, NC YMCA locations are employing Punch Alert technology as a result of a successful test run in the YMCA’s Dowd location. Punch Alert is the only all-in-one, mobile emergency communication platform created to keep public spaces safe and allow instant communication for responders.

“Punch Technologies is excited to announce our official partnership with the YMCA of Greater Charlotte.” said Greg Artzt, CEO of Punch Technologies. “We look forward to bringing our safety technology to all the YMCA locations in Charlotte to keep their staff and members safe. The YMCA is a perfect example of how an organization can use Punch Alert to create a fully integrated community of safety that engages the internal responders of the organization, employees, members, and official responders.”

The Charlotte association of the YMCA initiated a single-location test run of the Punch Alert technology at their Dowd branch in October 2015. After success and positive feedback from staff using the technology, the YMCA signed onto an annual contract for 23 Y locations. In the coming months, the branches plan to give every employee access to the safety platform and every member access by 2017.

The Y has also given access to thePunch Alert platform to the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for quicker response to emergencies as reported.

“Keeping our staff and members safe at all times is a top priority for the YMCA,” said Kimberly Conroy, Risk Manager for the YMCA of Greater Charlotte. “The success our Dowd branch saw during the pilot served as proof that all of our locationscould greatly benefit from utilizing the technology and we are excited to officially launch Punch Alert in additional locations.”

Punch Alert provides security by including a panic button that, once pressed, alerts emergency responders of a potentially life-threatening situation. Responders then have the ability to release emergency information to others when appropriate, involving them collaboratively in the response process. Punch Alert streamlines communication by enabling users to submit information and emergency responders to deliver mass updates during emergencies. Punch Alert also, through its use of GPS and iBeacon/Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology, provides location awareness by capturing the location of the initial report and actively monitoring the location of all community members until the emergency is resolved. It is an all-in-one mobile response tool for emergency situations.

About Punch Technologies

Punch Technologies is a mobile software company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are the creators of the Punch Alert mobile security and communication platform. The Punch Alert Platform is the only all-in-one emergency communication platform leveraging both GPS and iBeacon location technology.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb 16 2016

Media Contact: Molly Antos
Email: media@punchalert.com

Punch Technologies today introduces PAL, the first mobile app to help users crowd source safety for a wide scope of situations.

CHARLOTTE, NC, Feb 16 2016 –

Punch Technologies today introduces PAL, the first mobile app to help users crowd source safety for a wide scope of situations. This technology provides new functionality to the previously released Punch Alert app.

The first safety app to focus on the responder’s needs, Punch Alert turns any iOS or Android device into a mobile emergency solution. Users report emergencies or suspicious situations to preselected responders with text notes, images, video or audio recordings. Responders can crowd source this information, and redistribute warnings and announcements to the entire community as one mass notification. Instantly after an emergency is reported, responders receive an email, text message and automated phone call with the name and location of the person reporting the emergency. Responders can screen emergencies as they come in, release them to specific users, distribute emergency plans, communicate with other responders, share content and updates with anyone necessary and completely resolve the emergency – all from a mobile device.

Housed within the Punch Alert app, PAL users have the option of pushing a red or blue button. Red allows users to give or receive help from other PAL users in the area. After pressing the red button, users categorize the help request and wait for PALs to accept and respond. Once help is on the way, users can chat with the PALs coming to help to provide further information or instructions. After the interaction is resolved, the user can rate the PAL helper for future interactions. Any PAL can accept or dismiss help requests in the vicinity and report inappropriate PAL requests. Situations where the red button might be of use include:

• feeling threatened or trapped
• domestic abuse
• running out of gas
• any emergency where the ten minute wait for 911 is too long

The blue button allows users post and view safety tips in the area. Users press the blue button, categorize the post and post comments or photos to help describe the situation. All tips are displayed on a map to keep PALs in the area up to date and informed. Situations where the blue button might be of use include:

• a suspicious person or activity
• a dangerous animal
• weather problems
• hazardous material
• ice on the road

Both apps are free, though PAL will initially only be available for iOS, whereas Punch alert is available for both iOS and Android. At launch, PAL will be available on an invite-only basis. Visit joinpal.co to sign up for product updates.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jul 28 2015

Media Contact: Molly Antos
Email: media@punchalert.com

Five Districts Implement Punch Alert — the Only All-in-One Mobile Emergency Com-munication Platform — to Protect and Connect 16 Schools

CHARLOTTE, NC, Jul 28 2015 – Five Franklin County School Districts in Maine are the latest to team up with Punch Technologies and launch Punch Alert — the only all-in-one mobile emergency communication platform — across 16 schools — and all of the county’s official responder groups (police, fire, emergency management and state police).

“We feel very fortunate that our County is going with the Punch Alert System,” said Dr. Thomas Ward, Superintendent of Schools, Mt. Blue Regional School District. “This is a great collaborative effort between schools, law enforcement and all first responders. Anything we can do to reduce the time it takes to stop an intruder saves lives.”

Franklin County secured a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant which made the implementation of Punch Alert possible.

Punch Alert improves security by including a panic button that, once pressed, alerts emergency responders of a potentially life-threatening situation. Responders then have the ability to release emergency information to others on campus when appropriate, in-volving them collaboratively in the response process.

It streamlines communication by enabling faculty, staff, and students to submit infor-mation and emergency responders to deliver mass updates during emergencies. Punch Alert also, through its use of GPS and iBeacon/Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology, provides location awareness by capturing the location of the initial report and actively monitoring the location of all faculty and staff until the emergency is resolved.

“Punch Alert was uniquely created to help schools and universities with their emergency management,” said Greg Artzt, CEO of Punch Technologies. “Punch Alert is the perfect security solution for the Franklin County School Districts, and it will enhance the coun-ty’s existing school security measures.”

Punch Alert is also being utilized by schools nationwide including those in: Arizona, Florida, New York, North Carolina and Ohio.

For more information on Punch Alert, visit: www.punchalert.com, or go to https:/vimeo.com/104136990

About Punch Technologies Punch Technologies is a Charlotte, North Carolina-based mobile software company and creator of the Punch Alert mobile security and communication platform. The Punch Alert Platform is the only all-in-one mass emergency communication platform that leverages both GPS and iBeacon location technology. Punch Alert is designed specifically for any school, university, public or corporate entity that needs to protect and send notifications to its employees, students, residents, or community.

For more information visit punchalert.com, or follow Punch on Twitter @PunchTech.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jul 22 2015

Media Contact: Molly Antos
Email: media@punchalert.com

Hickory District Joins Schools Nationwide as They Implement Punch Alert — the Only All-in-One Mobile Emergency Communication Platform — to Protect and Connect Their Campuses

CHARLOTTE, NC, Jul 22 2015 – The Hickory Public School District in North Carolina is now using Punch Technologies’ Punch Alert emergency communication platform to protect and connect their public schools and district office — ten locations in total.

Hickory is the latest school district to begin working with Punch Technologies and im-plement Punch Alert which is the only all-in-one, mobile emergency communication plat-form uniquely created to help schools and universities streamline their emergency man-agement.

“During a tornado warning last year, we learned how beneficial it would have been to be able to communicate with all staff at one time rather than make many phone calls. Hav-ing the ability to communicate with everyone at once will enhance our safety procedures for all of our staff and students,” said Angela Simmons, director of student services at the Hickory Public School District. “Everyone will have the same information and know exactly what to do to keep their students safe.”

Punch Alert improves security by including a panic button that, once pressed, alerts emergency responders of a potentially life-threatening situation. Responders then have the ability to release emergency information to others on campus when appropriate, in-volving them collaboratively in the response process.

Punch Alert streamlines communication by enabling faculty, staff, and students to sub-mit information and emergency responders to deliver mass updates during emergen-cies. Punch Alert also, through its use of GPS and iBeacon/Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology, provides location awareness by capturing the location of the initial report and actively monitoring the location of all faculty and staff until the emergency is re-solved.

“School security is a significant concern in this day and age. And, being a parent my-self, I know how crucial it is to know that your child’s school district is doing everything to create and maintain a safe environment,” said Greg Artzt, CEO of Punch Technolo-gies. “Punch Alert was created with this concern in mind. It relies on the most relevant, smart communication, along with emergency management and real-time location awareness, making it ideal for protecting a school campus.”

Punch Alert is also being utilized by Providence Day School in Charlotte, North Carolina as well as with many schools and districts across the country including those in: Arizo-na, Florida, Maine, New York and Ohio. For more information on Punch Alert, visit: www.punchalert.com, or go to https:/vimeo.com/104136990

About Punch Technologies Punch Technologies is a Charlotte, North Carolina-based mobile software company and creator of the Punch Alert mobile security and communication platform. The Punch Alert Platform is the only all-in-one mass emergency communication platform that leverages both GPS and iBeacon location technology. Punch Alert is designed specifically for any school, university, public or corporate entity that needs to protect and send notifications to its employees, students, residents, or community.

For more information visit www.punchalert.com, or follow Punch on Twitter @PunchTech.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct 7 2014

Media Contact: Molly Antos
Email: media@punchalert.com

Punch Technologies launches Punch Alert, the only all-in-one mass emergency communication platform for schools

CHARLOTTE, NC, Oct 7 2014 – Punch Technologies today launched Punch Alert – the only all-in-one, mobile emergency communication platform created to help schools and universities protect and connect their campus.

Punch Alert improves security by including a panic button that, once pressed, alerts emergency responders of a potentially life-threatening situation. Responders then have the ability to release emergency information to others on campus when appropriate, involving them collaboratively in the response process. Punch Alert streamlines communication by enabling faculty, staff, and students to submit information and emergency responders to deliver mass updates during emergencies. Punch Alert also, through its use of GPS and iBeacon/Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology, provides location awareness by capturing the location of the initial report and actively monitoring the location of all faculty and staff until the emergency is resolved.

“School security is a significant priority to parents, faculty and administrators. What better way to protect the school campus then by putting a panic alarm and emergency communication system in the hands of every staff and faculty member?” said Greg Artzt, CEO of Punch Technologies.

“Punch Alert offers a unique combination of smart communication, emergency management and real-time location awareness that makes it the ideal platform for protecting a school campus. Punch Alert represents a new standard in school security.”

Punch Alert is being piloted by schools and universities nationwide and has already been implemented in a number of schools including the East Hampton and South Huntington public school districts in New York.

“Communication in any organization is the first thing to break down during a crisis,” said Robert Hagan, Director of Technology Learning and Instruction, East Hampton School District.

“Punch Alert has solved this dilemma for the East Hampton School District by putting an easy-to-use panic system in place for our schools.”
Punch Alert is cost effective. Schools do not need to buy expensive hardware to implement the platform, they can use the technologies and smart devices they already have on hand.

Punch is also positioned to scale with new wearable devices as they become available which offers a low-cost means to track/locate versus traditional methods.

Additional features and functionality include:

• Define the monitored region with geofencing
• Setup faculty, staff, and emergency responders from the Punch Alert Web Console
• Press the Panic button to instantly alert authorities, emergency responders, and other staff and faculty
• Monitor real-time location of everyone on school campus in the event of an emergency
• Upload and share pictures, audio recordings, videos and text messages
• Deliver mass updates and instructions to staff and faculty from the mobile app or web console
• Pinpoint indoor location with inexpensive bluetooth beacon installations (optional)
• Resolve the incident and automatically inform all staff and faculty

“School security is not something to be taken lightly,” said Artzt. “We want to make sure that all schools are prepared in the event of an emergency, and we believe that Punch Alert offers the best means of managing the safety of a school campus – via a real-time, collaborative security system.”

For more information on Punch Alert, visit our overview page or check out our explainer video.