ParentLine and SMS Text Broadcasting

Parents can now receive school announcements via SMS text with the help of ParentLine.

We received a memo from the school that they will be using ParentLine to send SMS text broadcasts regarding urgent announcements (e.g., suspension of classes). In line with this, they asked for one cell phone number where they will send the SMS advisories.

This is most likely experimental, as they will try this initially for one year. This is free, which makes me wonder who will foot the sms texting bill.

Will there be privacy issues? While the school wrote that the information will be kept confidential, it wasn't clear in the memo where the database of cell phone numbers and names will be stored.

For example, will the data be stored in servers directly controlled by the school? Or will the data be managed or handled by employees of the company offering ParentLine SMS texting services?

I suppose it will be the latter, so I did some online checking on ParentLine in the Philippines, and the companies that appear are Headstart Business Solutions, Inc. and TechFactors, Inc.

These companies are involved in projects that merge IT and education, and some of their services include CRM + IMS and e-learning.

[ First posted on 09/22/2010 by Manuel Viloria ]