Numerex Corp (NASDAQ:NMRX), a leading provider of interactive machine-to-machine (M2M) solutions enabling the Internet of Things (IoT), today announced that RTC Manufacturing, a leading provider of school zone safety equipment, has collaborated with Numerex to provide remote connectivity to school-zone warning flashers for enhanced student safety.

Designed to alert drivers when schoolchildren are present, especially in low-visibility conditions, school-zone flasher signals are typically updated manually at each school. The switching is based on the school calendar and manually changed when an unexpected early dismissal occurs, as in the case of a weather-event's altering the normal schedule. The process to reprogram the flashers requires a significant effort by school district personnel to implement due to the large number of warning flashers installed across an entire school district.

The IoT solution from Numerex and RTC enables remote, two-way communications between the school district's central traffic office and an embedded electronic device in the flasher signal signs. In the event of an early dismissal, the flasher schedule can be changed very efficiently across the entire school district with one simple update. This improvement saves a significant amount of time and frees administration personnel to assist students as they enter and exit the school safely.

"The M2M solution provided by RTC and powered by Numerex offers both an economical and efficient way to meet the child safety needs of school districts across the country," said David G. Walker, CEO of RTC. "Numerex also provides 24/7/365 support to ensure school zone warning flashers are always connected despite the harsh environments in which they operate."

RTC integrated the Numerex secure cellular network, as well as its embedded cellular module, allowing each flasher panel to communicate wirelessly. With the system, school districts are also able to receive text or email alerts informing them when a bulb burns out or when the battery is failing. These real-time updates enable technicians to be dispatched for repair before any students or administrators are put at risk. 

"We are proud to contribute to school districts' public safety operations by providing a reliable connectivity solution needed for school zone safety," said Mike Lang, SVP IoT Solutions for Numerex. "Remote Monitoring and Control solutions, powered by Numerex technology, are working every day to enable solutions like this to improve safety and increase efficiencies. RTC school flashers are another example of a real world solution that has come to life through the power of the IoT."