Can Wireless Panic Buttons Replace Their Hardwired Counterparts?

With so much growth and cost savings potential, the wireless revolution provides too many benefits to ignore.
Published: September 20, 2024

Wireless panic buttons are transforming the critical communications industry, but deploying any panic button solutions for staff members en masse presents a unique set of challenges for organizations looking to bolster their security footprint. How do you ensure a substantial amount of protection for all soft areas and vulnerable personnel without both ‘breaking the bank’ and also adding yet another learning curve for a new system / workflow that may not be utilized regularly (depending on emergency frequency)?

Fortunately, advances in wireless panic button technology, combined with intelligent workflow designs, can alleviate these concerns. Wireless panic button solutions offer the same level of protection as any hard-wired product, but can ‘self-improve’ over time, through software upgrades, instead of degrading (as their hard-wired counterparts would). The cloud-based capabilities of wireless panic buttons also reduce testing constraints and installation costs, as device check-ins can be performed from a single web portal hub anytime. This means that blanketing your organization with protection comes with less sacrifices, or is possible altogether with reduced overall costs.

Mobility Rules

The benefit of mobility also comes into play when considering accessible activation devices such as laptops, tablets, smartphones, and other wearable panic buttons. Your staff should have as many activation options as possible, which means unless they are stationed at a desktop or happen upon a wall mounted unit or blue light pole, those needing assistance will likely want to take advantage of their various mobile devices to call for help. Also consider location accuracy and real-time tracking capabilities and the requirements for such features (some ‘wireless’ panic button packages require expensive, on-site hardware beacon installations to function properly).

Expanding The Reach of Integrations

Your systems are likely specialized and some integrations between them may seem optional, but critical communication devices should receive priority here. Building out a complete map of integrated systems may include an emergency alerting system, which can often be implemented by the same provider as your panic buttons. When amass alert is then sent, all targeted devices will receive and display that alert, expanding your overall coverage via the additional wireless panic button reach.

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The extended reach of wireless panic buttons also benefits communication from the panic button device to the teams monitoring activations. When a device is activated, integrated security cameras, webcams, audio streaming, access control, and other devices / services can be automatically triggered or configured to trigger. This will inform security teams with more valuable insight so they can expedite their response.

Seeing Everywhere At Once

Ultimately, the wireless panic button revolution means more devices can receive panic button implementation, which in turn means responses are quicker because there are ‘more eyes’ on the situation than ever before. Though affordability may be the key to faster adoption, the extra benefits are hard to ignore, and it shouldn’t be long before their integration potential pushes hard-wired products further out of the market.

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Tagged with: 911 Cellular

Strategy & Planning Series
Strategy & Planning Series
Strategy & Planning Series
Strategy & Planning Series
Strategy & Planning Series