Santiago Cantú, co-founder of SkyAlert, has suggested that the platform is evaluating the development of an immediate warning system for shootings. The proposal is one of many options the company is studying to amplify the benefits of its robust infrastructure. Despite this, the idea is far from being realized and could be scrapped if it does not comply with the strict reliability protocols with which the company operates.
Cantú attended the event re:Invet of Amazon Web Services (AWS) to present the advances of SkyAlert as a success story. It has shared that the response time of its services has been reduced from seven seconds to 300 milliseconds. He explains that this capacity has motivated the company to expand its catalog of solutions. Specifically, he has said that the operational progress could be used to design a warning tool for shootings.
“The universities here [en Estados Unidos] They have security centers that could issue an immediate warning of ‘everyone on the floor’. This would reach the cell phone [de los docentes, padres o alumnos] to activate the protocols and make decisions that save lives,” he declared at the event according to a statement taken up by the media. Expansion.
SkyAlert is not currently working on a shooting alert system.
The proposal is striking. However, it is only an example of the uses that could be given to the technology. Álvaro Velasco, CEO of SkyAlert in Mexico and the United States, clarified that the model is in a very early study phase. “We have confirmed that our service is very fast, almost instantaneous. We are exploring what other uses we can give it. Part of that may be a shooting warning service, but This would be the last initiative to develop. The issue is complex,” he clarified in a talk with WIRED en Español.
The executive anticipates that although the resource could work based on the decibel recording, its level of precision would not be adequate. “We are talking about children and adolescents. “If the system picks up the sound of a desk falling and sends a warning, we can cause an unnecessary panic attack.”
Velasco adds that SkyAlert frequently reviews new projects. Many of them have been abandoned because they were not technologically viable. “At this moment we are visualizing what other uses we can give to our system. The one related to the shootings would occur later. It is not something immediate or ready to be launched. To launch such disruptive products, you need capital and new investors,” he explains.
SkyAlert was established in 2011 as an organization dedicated to early warning of earthquakes in Mexico and the United States. In a decade, it has managed to create a network with about 120 sensors that serve more than 20 entities in the Mexican Republic. Its mobile application has around 10 million downloads. Their plans are to expand their coverage to countries such as Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Peru and Guatemala.
The firm expanded its offering in 2022 with the launch of SkyAlert Storm, a resource that anticipates the formation of high-power hurricanes and tropical storms up to three hours in advance. The intention in the short term, according to Álvaro, is to strengthen this infrastructure. “Our core It is in early notifications of natural phenomena and we are improving it. For anthropogenic issues we still have a long way to go. “There are many variables that must be considered.”
The executive director has announced that the app SkyAlert will receive a major update in the first quarter of 2025. It details that the user interface and some functions will be optimized to deliver a more personalized experience. “If you are on the fourth floor and an earthquake occurs, we will give you specific recommendations for action in relation to the context,” he exemplifies.
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