Smart Infoboard service launched in Butuan

MANILA, Philippines - The last week of June was a week of firsts for Butuan City as two institutions announced their Infoboard-driven partnership with wireless leader Smart Communications Inc.

The Butuan City government and the Father Saturnino Urios University (FSUU) have tapped Smart’s Infoboard, a Web-based solution offering SMS or text facility that enables communities to disseminate information to the mobile phones of subscribed members.

Smart chief wireless advisor Orlando Vea said, “We use this technology mainly for disaster mitigation and prevention, but the Infoboard has several other applications.  Groups can take advantage of the Infoboard to broadcast timely, relevant, and accurate information such as advisories, reports and news.”

Smart community solutions consultant Dave Alaan said it was the first time for the Infoboard service to be used by a local government unit in Mindanao.

Students of the Father Saturnino Urios University in Butuan City test the new RFID system.

Butuan City Mayor Jun Amante recognized Smart for bringing the technology to their city.

“I believe that technology, such as the Infoboard service provided by Smart to the city of Butuan, is a great equalizer because the richest and the poorest alike, can access the same information at the shortest possible time,” Amante said.

It was also the first time in the entire Philippines that a school’s Radio Frequency (RF) ID system was linked to the Smart Infoboard service. With this, parents will no longer have to worry if their children are already inside the school’s premises or wonder what time they have left the campus.

Fr. John Young, FSUU president, said, “With our efforts to always improve services, in this case to improve security for students, we set up the RFID system in partnership with the Hive AVLS, which provides multimedia and business solutions. The timing was just right for this partnership with Smart, as we were then able to link the RFID system with the Infoboard, which I think is a wonderful idea.”

Now, parents will get SMS notifications when the students tap their IDs as they go in and out of the campus. 

FSUU president Fr. John Young and Smart community channel development representative Michael Adornado lead the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the RFID system’s link to the Smart Infoboard service.

As they tested the new system during the launch, Francis Lim Sr., whose son is enrolled at FSUU, was amazed at how fast he received the notification. 

“A few seconds was all it took,” Lim said. “I have only seen this technology being used abroad and it’s remarkable that it is now here in Butuan.”