BELLINGHAM, WA - August 11, 2008 -- PIER Systems, Inc., provider of the world's first and only full spectrum, on-demand communication management web application, announced today its integration with Alertus Technologies. The partnership pairs Alertus' wall-mounted emergency beacon technology with PIER's online communication management platform. The result is a central tool for critical notifications that will enhance emergency response time.

"Our job is to get the right information, to the right people, right now," said Gerald Baron, CEO of PIER Systems, Inc. "In the case of university campuses, for example, alert messages displayed in high traffic areas will play a critical role in an effective response. Providing PIER users with the capability to leverage this additional outlet from their existing communications platform will expedite a crisis response, and ultimately improve the safety of those involved."

Alertus' Notification Beacons are mounted in highly visible locations and triggered to provide information in the event of any emergency. The beacons utilize a siren, strobe light and backlit LCD screen, all of which are customizable by the user. The technology can also be connected to larger displays and Audio Visual equipment. Campus and community leaders with students, staff, and visitors occupying multiple buildings currently use the Alertus Technology to provide emergency notifications.

The University of Houston (UH), a longtime user of PIER (Public Information Emergency Response), is the first organization to take advantage of this integration. PIER is a web-based communication control system that allows communicators and emergency response leaders to collaborate and effectively communicate with the public, the media and internal audiences. UH uses PIER to notify students, faculty and staff of IT downtimes and potential safety threats.

We use PIER as our primary method for communicating with students and the campus community in an emergency event," said Jim Savage, Manager of the Information Technology Availability Center at the University of Houston. "A key advantage of PIER is that it is a single system that manages multiple tasks simply and efficiently. Adding Alertus notification on this same, simple platform will increase efficiency, speed and effective distribution of messages. We believe many universities will see this as a model for managing critical information."

Once Alertus technology is implemented, users can send emergency notifications to wall mounted beacons at pre-determined locations from their online PIER platform. This capability compliments PIER's existing SMS, e-mail, fax and text-to-voice notification functionality. Through this unique integration, emergency notification messages can be sent from a single PIER online control center to multiple recipient platforms, making it easy for users to send out urgent information fast and consistently.

"We have learned from past emergency responses that a variety of communication channels must be employed in order to make sure notifications are effective," said Baron. "People may not have access to their e-mail or cell phone at the same time an emergency beacon is in sight, however, they're likely to receive the alert from at least one of these outlets if they're used in conjunction with each other."

The integration of these two technologies is available beginning August 1, 2008. PIER users with Alertus devices in place will have the option of using this capability for any outgoing notification.

About Alertus Technologies
Alertus Technologies is the leading provider of wireless radio and network based integrated audible visual building notification for all-hazards alerting. The company specializes in helping campus and community leaders solve their emergency response challenge of notifying thousands of staff, students and visitors occupying hundreds of buildings. Alertus' project experience stretches across many markets and spans the globe, from universities to hospital centers to foreign governments. Alertus Technologies is headquartered in the Washington, DC area. For more information about Alertus Technologies, please call (866) 425-3788 ext.1, or visit www.alertustech.com.

About PIER Systems

The Public Information and Emergency Response (PIER) System is the world's first and only full spectrum, on-demand communication management web application. Developed in the wake of the 1999 Olympic Pipeline disaster in Bellingham, Wash., PIER provides all the critical tools communicators need in a single, easy-to-use control center. PIER clients include: U.S. Coast Guard, BP, CalFire, The U.S. Forest Service, The American Red Cross, The University of North Carolina System, AllState Insurance Company and Boeing Commercial Airplanes. For more information, visit www.PIERSystems.com.