Skinkers, communication you can't miss

This state-of-the-art system, powered by Skinkers desktop technology, puts real-time public safety and transportation notifications directly onto the computer desktops of students, faculty, staff, the local community and interested parents.

When a notification appears, users can link to the UC Berkeley Police website to receive and post relevant information concerning public safety, parking and transportation. Such an immediate exchange of information provides an unprecedented opportunity for the entire university community to actively participate in enhancing campus security.

The technology, designed and implemented by Skinkers, is anonymous for the user. The notifications, which bypass all open applications, are a one-megabyte Windows-based application and are downloaded from the Berkeley website. Users then designate their campus profiles (i.e., student, faculty), allowing the police department to transmit targeted notifications to those individuals affected. Skinkers notifications are delivered via an encrypted channel directly from the police to the relevant users.

Victoria L. Harrison, Chief of Police for UC Berkeley, said of the new program: "CAL is a large campus in an urban setting. We believe this program of desktop notification will contribute to a safer campus environment and establish a more direct and immediate link with CAL students and the campus community in general. This new system will help keep our community on top of important security issues as they occur, and provide our community with critical information quickly."

Jesse E. Levine, Skinkers Agent and President and CEO of Global ALL-MEDIA said: "Skinkers technology provides a unique communication vehicle for universities, where so many people are online. Skinkers' public safety and transportation notifications will create faster links between the UC Berkeley Police Dept. and members of the CAL community. We believe Skinkers' award-winning technology will also offer other universities the opportunity to improve their communications and security."

Skinkers UC alerts technology is available to the UC Berkeley community at:
police.berkeley.edu/STandAR/index.html

About UC Berkeley (CAL)
The University of California, Berkeley is one of the world's leading universities, educating 32,000 undergraduate and graduate students from California and around the world. It is renowned for the distinction of its faculty, the scope and quality of its academic departments, and the global reach of its ground-breaking research. The 178-acre central campus is known for its architectural and historical landmarks.

Media contact at UC Berkeley
Adan Tejada
+1 510-642-1133
adan@berkeley.edu