IT help for delivery of plays

RightAngle · Sep 25, 2008

I am looking for the best possible solution for delivery of plays to customers taking into consideration reliability, speed, fair equal access, and convenience. The plays are very time sensitive due to significant line movement shortly after release.

I have been sending plays via e-mail and text message but almost every week a few clients have issues with e-mail delays and/or text delivery, and every month or so I have a widespread e-mail issue that causes many clients to receive plays after lines have moved.

The biggest issue with bulk e-mail is that not all recipients receive the e-mail at the same time due to different locations and speeds of ISP's, spam filters, and random system failures or delays. In rare cases, e-mails will not go through at all due to errant spam blocking.

With bulk text messaging, not all recipients receive the text at the same time, and in some cases messages do not get delivered at all. A very common problem is clients receiving the first text, but not a second or third text. My cell provider refuses to take any responsibility for this. Additionally, not all clients have access or knowledge of text messaging, or do not prefer using it.

Many people have suggested going to a countdown type of web page similar to what Dr. Bob uses, and I am leaning in this direction for college basketball. However, it seems far less convenient than e-mail and/or text as it requires being in front of a computer, thus causing more of a need for precise set release times which I would like to avoid if possible. There is also the potential of the page being blocked by work/school filters.

Does anyone have any other ideas or solutions? Perhaps using an RSS feed, or an advanced online (text/e-mail) messaging system, or some other type of technology I may not be aware of?

Thanks for reading and I would be happy to offer a free RAS college football subscription to anyone who can provide a workable solution to this.

Edward

ERBtheGREAT · Sep 25, 2008

Just make a forum and post your picks in a private board where only people that pay can view it.

DollarDay · Sep 25, 2008

The best bet would most likely be the use of "voice broadcasting".

I work for a collection agency and have seen many companies using these systems as a "power dialer" and getting through a ton of telephone #'s rather quickly.

I would suggest looking at Global Connect (http://www.gc1.com/) or Soundbite (http://www.soundbite.com/).

I know the salesguy for Global Connect very well. If you're interested in talking to him drop me a pm and I'll get you his information. Outbound calls cost around 10cents/minute and go down based on volume.

You can simply record your message and send the "blast".

Santo · Sep 25, 2008

ERB: No that wouldn't work; it's just a (slightly inferior) version of the Dr Bob method, because you'd have to announce the time in advance and/or rely on another method to notify people to check the forum.

$tinky · Sep 25, 2008

what wrong with using messenger, or if your clients had nextel you could put them in a group and hit them over the radio at one time.

I think this is what all the billy walters diciples are doing these days.

ERBtheGREAT · Sep 25, 2008

What about creating a chat in AIM or MSN?

bellyputter · Sep 25, 2008

Are you a tout?

RightAngle · Sep 26, 2008

Thanks for all of the suggestions.

I'm going to do some experimenting with MSN Messenger and others.

Getting all subscribers on Nextel would be a challenge. There has to be a better way.

As for the power dialer services, any idea how simultaneous the calls would be made? I wonder if there is any chance of some getting the calls before others? I also wonder how reliable it is, but sounds interesting.

Edward