FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  --  AUGUST 23, 2007 

SMC Signs Agreement With EmergaTxt For Messaging System Service
System Will Allow Rapid Communication With Students, Faculty, and Staff

SPARTANBURG, SC -- Spartanburg Methodist College is pleased to announce an arrangement with Spartanburg-based EmergaTxt, a company that provides texting and alert messaging services.

The arrangement will allow the college to rapidly communicate with students and other members of the college community in the event of an emergency

“The simplicity and cost-effectiveness of the EmergaTxt system were vital factors in the college’s decision to link with the company’s plan,” says Art Hartzog, SMC Dean of Students.

Participation in the plan will be voluntary and free of charge for those who choose to sign up.  The plan is available to students, their parents, faculty, staff, administrators and trustees of the college.  SMC will provide individuals in those categories with instructions for enrolling within the next few days; each must agree to certain terms and conditions.

Signing up is simple and quick and can be done online at www.emergatxt.com.  Personal information will remain confidential.

“We are very pleased to be able to provide this service to Spartanburg Methodist College. We recognize the growing need in all industries to be able to rapidly communicate with respective groups of people and have designed this system to provide each client with an added degree of security,” says Jay Phillips, Executive Vice-President and head of marketing for EmergaTxt.

EmergaTxt was founded in June; SMC is the company’s third client and its only higher education client.

The EmergaTxt system will provide the College the capability of sending text messages almost instantly to the cell phones in the database.  Only selected administrators at the college are authorized to create and send messages through the EmergaTxt system, which will be used only in urgent or emergency situations such as severe weather, fire, or other incidents when immediate notification is vital.  Messages can be sent to everyone in the database, or to selected categories as appropriate.

“The EmergaTxt system is an important new component of SMC’s overall emergency response plan.  When necessary, other modes of communication will continue to be used for emergency notifications, including land-line telephones, email, and word of mouth,” Hartzog says.

Messages can be sent to any cell phone model capable of receiving text messages. Service providers  may charge a fee for any emergency messages received, depending on the individual’s service package.

“The system is designed for rapid deployment and is a very versatile, user-friendly tool. We envision it being a very critical tool for our current and future clients,” says Phillips.

EmergaTxt plans to increase its system’s functionality over time, which may include the ability to send e-mail alerts.

SMC will examine the possibility of adding any such increased functionality to its contract as it is developed and the College deems necessary.

Spartanburg Methodist College is in its 96th year of providing a quality education to students in a Christian environment. More than 90 percent of SMC graduates continue their education at other institutions of higher learning.

For additional information, please contact Art Hartzog, SMC Dean of Students, at (864) 587-4002 or Jay Phillips, Executive Vice-President and head of marketing for EmergaTxt, at (864) 278-0233.

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