Monroe Electronics has released Version 2.0 of its HALO Emergency Alert System (EAS) management solution, designed to oversee all encoders/decoders and manage all connected EAS devices within an organization. The V2.0 release features a complete redesign to improve the user experience and simplify both maintenance and troubleshooting.
"With HALO V2.0, we continue to revolutionize EAS management and EAS-related reporting through the consolidation of information from geographically diverse devices," said E. Scott Nix, director of strategic projects for Monroe Electronics and HALO product manager. "In the past, cable operators and station groups spent a great deal of time and effort training personnel to perform labor-intensive information gathering. HALO addressed this problem by streamlining critical tasks and, in turn, enabling better management of EAS/CAP equipment. Significant enhancements to HALO V2.0 further simplify management and reporting, allowing users to reduce the overall cost and complexity of EAS-related operations."
HALO was engineered for cable operators and station groups (both television and radio) with EAS systems serving multiple geographically diverse locations. In departments across an organization, authorized users can view the status of all EAS devices connected to HALO, back up configuration files, perform software upgrades, collect EAS alert data, run regular reports on EAS devices and EAS alert data, and alert users to changes throughout the EAS enterprise environment.
V2.0 improvements include a new web-based interface and a shift to a unified web-server platform. The new web-based interface for HALO V2.0 allows users to work with their preferred web browser (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, Safari). The central HALO server now runs on a Linux OS (Ubuntu and CentOS 7) using a PostgreSQL database.
"We shifted HALO to a Linux-based operating system and open-source database because they reduce overall cost of ownership, and also because many datacenter professionals have greater knowledge and familiarity with these systems and find them easier to manage," said Nix. "We also have implemented a web-based user interface that makes HALO access easier than ever - and gives users the benefit of a modern look and feel."