Basic network messaging system

[enjay]

We are looking for a basic messaging system so key staff can send urgent to all computers. Communication would be one-way not chat or IM, just alerts which pop-up on screen for things like lock-down procedure, short notice fire alarm tests and so forth. Any suggestions?

 

At my last school we used Sys Mess from Flo, but they seem to have disappeared. We used to use Net Send here but this doesn't go across VLANs. We have Google Apps, but I can't see a way to make Hangouts do this, plus I'd prefer something which doesn't require users to log in.

 

Net Send got massively over-used too, so we'll be heavily limiting who can approve/send messages, but that's another conversation!

Edited October 26, 2017 by enjay

[steveg]

Netsupport Notify should do everything you want.

 

Steve

[MkII]

Netsupport Notify seems very good.

 

NetSupport Notify - Alerting in Education

[enjay]

Netsupport Notify should do everything you want

 

Looks promising. Do you know how much it costs?

[Guest MD5T]

Skype for business or impero ?

[MkII]

Looks promising. Do you know how much it costs?

 

EduGeek.net - NetSupport DNA + Notify Special Offer!

[enjay]

Skype for business or impero ?

 

Both overkill for this purpose. The latter is certainly out of budget range too.

[enjay]

EduGeek.net - NetSupport DNA + Notify Special Offer!

 

Can't justify DNA, I would just want the Notify.

[Jamman960]

They did a free notify offer a while back, this may come around again? not much help at the moment though :/

[enjay]

They did a free notify offer a while back, this may come around again? not much help at the moment though :/

 

Well, if they can afford to give it away, I can probably afford to buy it...

[Fazza]

If you dont want to pay for anything then Microsoft have the 'net send' command that can send a one-way message to all your computers (or just individual ones should you wish). I'm sure a batch file could be knocked up to make it user friendly.

 

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb490710.aspx

[enjay]

If you dont want to pay for anything then Microsoft have the 'net send' command that can send a one-way message to all your computers (or just individual ones should you wish). I'm sure a batch file could be knocked up to make it user friendly.

 

Net Send only works on a flat network, the messages don't cross VLANs.

[Geoff]

If you are on a budget of £0 and net send isn't any good you can cobble something together with powershell:

 

$PCLIST = Get-Content 'C:\TEST\PCLIST.TXT'

ForEach ($computer in $PCLIST) {

   Invoke-Command -ComputerName $computer -Scriptblock {
       $GetUserName = [Environment]::UserName
       $CmdMessage = {C:\windows\system32\msg.exe * 'Hello' $GetUserName 'This is a test!'}

       $CmdMessage | Invoke-Expression
   }

}

[enjay]

If you are on a budget of £0 and net send isn't any good you can cobble something together with powershell

 

That's neat, thanks. I can probably rustle up the budget for NetSupport Notify, but I'll keep this in case I can't.

[enjay]

Answering my own question here, but...

 

Not quite £0 budget, but very cheap - I've just found Flo Computer Services - Sysmess who I've used before at a previous school are still trading. Their website hasn't been updated in years (they still list VAT at 17.5%!) so I figured they'd disappeared but apparently not.