Some of our customers are talking about using Whats App as a bulk message system. Can WhatsApp be a solution for businesses with a group calling needs? In this blog, I will elaborate on the advantages, disadvantages, and risks of the bulk alert by WhatsApp.
The benefits of alerting via WhatsApp
First the cost, the application does not cost anything and this is necessarily the biggest advantage. In addition, many people already have WhatsApp installed on their phones, so the employability and knowledge of the system are high. Finally, you can send texts, photos, and videos with WhatsApp.
Disadvantages of the alert via WhatsApp
Most people receive WhatsApp messages throughout the day. Often, the grouped messages are put in silence mode otherwise the phone would ring all day long. The attention paid to a WhatsApp message is therefore very small, much lower than a phone call or a call with a distinctive alert sound that breaks the phone’s silent mode.
Via WhatsApp, you can communicate with a whole group of people through a single message, but you cannot distinguish between people present or absent in your premises. Everyone in the group will receive the message, whether or not they are present at the location. And just as impractical, you cannot see at a glance who can intervene at the emergency call.
It also appears frequently that WhatsApp is not reliable on the delay of sending messages. Regularly the service is subject to delays of several minutes or more. Which is annoying if you want to send a simple message but with dramatic consequences when you need to send an alert message in case of an emergency.
Also added is the fact that a skype download discussion group is limited to the maximum number of participants.
The risks of WhatsApp alerts
A WhatsApp message is sent over the data network, Wi-Fi or mobile. But what happens if there is a power cut and/or Wi-Fi? Messages via the app are not distributed. It is therefore essential to be able to bounce back on an emergency call system via other communication channels such as telephone, e-mail or SMS
Audio / Visual integration
Skype is not easy to connect to an AV conference room system. My clients often try to connect a remote computer with a meeting room that has video conferencing technology. Skype works well for the remote participant, but attempting to use Skype (or any other desktop client) in a meeting room with more than one individual present does not work well at all.
Conclusion
Using a WhatsApp group as an emergency call system is possible because of its low cost and versatility, but it is too risky because it cannot break the phone’s silent mode, do not report who saw the emergency call, who is present, who can get help and if the message is delivered to everyone in case of internet break.
