Tsunami inspires lifesaving software

Richard Gill

If there is ever a bright side to natural catastrophe, it's that someone usually develops technology to try to better prepare for next time.

Auckland-based web technology company Cyberglue took just such inspiration from last year's Asian tsunami, and came up with eAlert - a disaster notification system it hopes will save lives.

Cyberglue co-founder and chief executive Richard Gill says he was horrified while watching television coverage of the tsunami. Unable to sleep, he decided he could come up with an information management system that could ultimately limit the impact of such events.

"I could see there was a distinct need for an integrated system that provided a single point of reference for all information during an emergency of any size," he says.

Cyberglue launched eAlert in March. Essentially, the system gathers incident reports via the web, email, phone, and other computer systems or portable devices, prioritises the information and automatically sends notifications to the authorities in various ways, including pager, email and text.

The tsunami's damage could have been eased, Gill says, if the authorities' information-sharing systems had been more closely integrated.

" ... I thought if only they'd had our stuff a lot less people would have died."

Last month eAlert won Cyberglue a technology commendation award from the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology.

"It's been good - it's got us a lot of attention and certainly adds some credibility," Gill says.

The system is based on core technology Cyberglue developed for AARoadwatch, which gathers and manages information on state highway closures.

Version two of eAlert, released last month, introduced the ability to receive, store and display faxes and electronic documents.

Although eAlert automatically sends notifications that provide information, Gill says people are still key - they make the decisions on priorities such as evacuation or rescue, which can change quickly.

"In an emergency, technology can't replace good human decision making," he says. "What eAlert does is automate the gathering and notification processes, freeing emergency staff to concentrate on the big picture." Gill says other crisis information management systems often focus more on the operational aspects of running an emergency centre. "We work beside that. We're focused on alerting, gathering intelligence, making quick decisions and getting the word out."

Gill says eAlert's launch has led to commercial discussions with Asia-Pacific Government agencies.

The system could also have commercial possibilities for infrastructure companies, which need to keep other organisations informed when working on repairs, he says.

And after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, Gill says interest is growing in the United States.

Cyberglue

Who: Richard Gill, co-founder.
What: Web applications producer.
Where: Auckland.
Why: "We have a tremendous passion for solving difficult problems."