Tag: warehouses

Choosing the Right AI Voice for Life Safety

WHY VOICE DESIGN MATTERS FOR LIFE SAFETY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION

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When lives are on the line, the voice delivering your message matters. Choosing the right AI voice for emergency communication can dramatically improve how people react during a crisis. The tone, pitch, and pacing of an emergency message all influence whether instructions are heard, understood, and trusted. A well-selected AI voice can reduce confusion, calm panic, and ensure that safety procedures are heard clearly.

Emergency communication is not about sounding friendly—it’s about sounding clear, calm, and authoritative. Research shows that a steady, neutral tone increases comprehension and trust, especially in high-stress environments. Whether you’re deploying a mass notification system in a school, hospital, or industrial facility, your AI voice should deliver messages that command attention without causing alarm. In this post, we’ll explore how tone, pacing, and voice selection directly impact emergency response effectiveness—and why Valcom recommends consulting your emergency management team before selecting any AI-generated voice.

WHY THE RIGHT AI VOICE MATTERS IN EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS

Not all messages are created equal — and neither are the voices that deliver them.

  • Emergency voices must cut through noise, stress the importance while remaining clear, authoritative, and calm.
  • Everyday voices support routine communication such as school announcements, workplace updates, or general assistance prompts, where tone and relatability matter more than urgency.

Selecting the right AI voice means balancing intelligibility, tone, emotional impact, and listener trust based on both the message and the market it serves.

When seconds count, voice tone directly affects how people respond. In a crisis, users are often under duress — frightened, distracted, or in noisy environments — and clarity becomes paramount.

CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EFFECTIVE AI VOICE FOR EMERGENCY ALERTS

Valcom LCD DIsplay with Infant Abduction message
  • Intelligibility: Research from the U.S. Department of Energy emphasizes that voice intelligibility is the most critical component of an emergency communication system. (Energy.gov, 2015)
  • Tone and Delivery: Studies of 911 and dispatch communication show that a calm, confident tone promotes trust and compliance, whereas panicked or overly loud voices can escalate confusion. (Police Legal Sciences, 2023)
  • Authority and Trust: A 2024 study on AI voice perception found that authoritative, mature, and neutral-toned voices were rated most trustworthy by listeners. (arXiv, 2024)

HOW VOICE INTELLIGIBILITY IMPACTS RESPONSE TIMES

  • Tone: Firm, calm, authoritative
  • Pacing: Moderate speed, slightly slower than conversational
  • Pitch: Medium to slightly higher for clarity in noisy environments
  • Accent: Neutral or localized to audience for better comprehension
  • Emotion: Neutral or reassuring — never dramatic or robotic

An example line might sound like:
“Attention. Please proceed to the nearest exit. Do not use the elevators.”
The goal is command through calm, ensuring comprehension and compliance without inducing fear.

Sound360° Flat Panel Speaker

THE IMPORTANCE OF CONSULTING YOUR EMERGENCY TEAM BEFORE SELECTING AN AI VOICE

Before implementing an AI-generated voice for any life-safety emergency communication system, Valcom strongly recommends consulting your internal safety and emergency response teams, as well as local authorities having jurisdiction (AHJ).
Every organization’s environment is unique — acoustics, demographics, stress factors, and even cultural expectations can influence how messages are received. Working collaboratively with emergency management professionals ensures your AI voice:

  • Meets voice intelligibility standards
  • Aligns with local emergency response procedures
  • Is tested for clarity in real-world scenarios
  • Supports accessibility for hearing-impaired or multilingual populations

Valcom can assist integrators and end users in evaluating how AI voices integrate with emergency notification systems (ENSs), IP speakers, and multi-channel alerting solutions.

VALCOM’S EXPERTISE IN VOICE-DRIVEN COMMUNICATION

Valcom’s integrated solutions — including IP paging, intercom, visual notification, and mass notification systems — support both emergency and everyday communication. With the growing role of AI in voice delivery, our focus remains the same: ensuring every message reaches every eye and ear, clearly and reliably.
Our team works with safety officers, IT directors, and facilities teams to evaluate AI voice options that align with your emergency protocols, compliance standards, and communication goals.
Before selecting or deploying an AI voice for emergency use, consult with your emergency management team and your Valcom representative. Together, we’ll help you find the balance between clarity, compliance, and connection.

FINAL TAKEAWAY

Valcom’s integrated solutions — including IP paging, intercom, visual notification, and mass notification systems — support both emergency and everyday communication. With the growing role of AI in voice delivery, our focus remains the same: ensuring every message reaches every eye and ear, clearly and reliably.

Our team works with safety officers, IT directors, and facilities teams to evaluate AI voice options that align with your emergency protocols, compliance standards, and communication goals.

Before selecting or deploying an AI voice for emergency use, consult with your emergency management team and your Valcom representative. Together, we’ll help you find the balance between clarity, compliance, and connection.

Ready to learn how Valcom can help with your life-safety emergency communications? Contact us today.

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Cut Through the Noise

How Visual and Audio Alerts Work Together In Noisy Environments

In environments filled with constant motion and background noise — like manufacturing plants, warehouses, airports, and hospitals — clear communication can be the difference between calm and chaos. When every second matters, a single missed alert can compromise safety and response times. That’s why industrial facilities are choosing to incorporate visual and audio emergency notification systems. This approach ensures messages, especially those during emergencies, reach every eye and every ear.

Industrial paging in noisy environments. Image of an industrial worker wearing hearing protection in an industral plant

The Challenge of Noisy or Complex Spaces

Traditional audio alerts often struggle to cut through the sound of machinery, background music, or ambient noise. In these high-decibel settings, relying solely on audio isn’t enough. Many industries, such as manufacturing, require employees to use hearing protection while at work. At the same time, visual cues alone may be missed by employees or visitors who aren’t facing the right direction. Therefore, the most effective strategy is a multi-modal communication approach — combining both sound and visuals to deliver messages with impact and clarity.

Visual Notification: The Silent Messenger

Bright LED displays, strobes, and multicolor flashers serve as visual reinforcements for emergency and routine messaging.

Valcom’s new LCD Display and multi-color flasher elevate visual communication to a new level. LCDs can present scrolling text, custom messages, and even real-time data. Meanwhile, multi-color flashers instantly distinguish the nature of an alert. For example, red for evacuation, blue for lockdown, and amber for weather warnings.

These technologies not only reach those who may not hear an alarm — such as individuals wearing hearing protection or with hearing impairments — but also add clarity and precision to every notification.

Valcom VIP-LD22 Series LCD Dispaly with text

Audio Alerts: Still the Fastest Way to Get Attention

While visual alerts enhance clarity, audio remains the fastest way to capture attention and convey detailed instructions.

With Valcom’s network-based paging and life safety solutions, messages can be broadcast instantly to targeted zones or to the entire facility. Pre-recorded and live announcements ensure flexibility — whether it’s a severe weather alert, evacuation, or routine operational update.

Integrating with overhead speakers, horns, and wide coverage speakers like the Sound360° ensures audio clarity across vast, open spaces without dead zones or echo distortion.

The Power of Integration

When audio and visual systems operate as part of a unified platform — such as Valcom’s enterprise communication solutions — the result is a synchronized, reliable, and scalable notification network.

Integration with third-party systems, such as access control, fire panels, and third-party software providers, ensures that all alerts trigger simultaneously across all channels. The result: faster awareness and response times. Furthermore, it ensures compliance with industry safety standards such as ADA.

A Safer, More Inclusive Environment

Every ear and every eye matters. By pairing visual and audio alerts, organizations can communicate effectively with everyone. This includes employees wearing hearing protection, patients resting in quiet zones, or travelers moving through a busy terminal.

The outcome isn’t just compliance or convenience — it’s life safety when it matters and ensures no one is left uninformed when seconds count. To learn more about how Valcom’s overhead paging and visual notifications fit into your market, click the market icon below.

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Sound360° Voice Paging Quality

Voice Paging Quality in Warehouse Distribution Centers

August 29, 2024

Distribution centers and warehouses that provide voice paging and background music face significant challenges in optimizing sound quality. These buildings typically have large open spaces with high ceilings, concrete walls and floors. These create reflective surfaces, which cause sound to bounce around. This phenomenon, known as reverberation, degrades overall voice paging quality. The more reflections and reverberations there are, the more likely it is that a voice page will become less intelligible.

How can you overcome these audio challenges in a warehouse enviornment?

To optimize warehouse acoustics, it is crucial to understand how sound disperses from speakers, reflects off surfaces, and what type of speakers can overcome these challenges.
Horns and cone-type speakers are the most installed speakers for warehouses.  Horns are powerful and suited for noisy environments, but they are not designed for music reproduction. Playing music through a horn will sound “tinny” and in some cases cause premature failure. Horns produce sound via a moving coil and diaphragm within their structure. The sound then travels through the horn and is emitted out through the bell. The sound is usually highly amplified to reach long distances and it reflects off the many surfaces it hits. To cover large sound areas, multiple horns must be used and must be spaced a certain distance apart.

Another common and popular style of speaker is the cone-type speaker. These speakers are found in large gymnasiums and warehouses in low to medium ambient noise environments. Cone-type speakers can emit sound in large open spaces and play quality background music but have their limitations. A cone-type speaker is not as efficient (loud) as a horn so to cover the same amount of area, even more speakers would have to be used than horns to provide the necessary sound coverage. This results in many more points in the warehouse where sound is dispersed, and this results in a greater amount of reverberation. Horns and speakers are generally installed facing in one direction and disperse sound in that same direction. The direction/area that each speaker or horn effectively covers can be described as a dispersion angle. Dispersion angles of traditional horns and speakers at low frequencies are fairly wide but as frequencies increase the dispersion angle narrows. The frequencies that provide voice intelligibility are in these higher frequencies. Still, a properly designed and balanced horn or speaker system can provide an intelligible voice paging system in warehouses. But, there is a better solution.

What audio solutions exist that is not a horn or cone-type that will have less reverberation in a warehouse environment?

An alternative solution worth considering is the Sound360° warehouse speaker from Valcom. The flat panel style acts as if it has many tiny speakers in the panel and disperses sound in 360 degrees. The Sound360° speaker replaces up to 3 to 4 horns or speakers in a warehouse design. This results in less points of sound dispersion and therefore results in less reflection points and less reverberation. The graph to the right shows the narrower range of sound dispersed in a horn or cone speakers and the narrow range of intelligibility compared to the Sound360°. The eloquent design disperses sound in a wider area and provides a greater range of intelligibility than a cone or horn type speaker. The cleaner dispersion of sound results in less trouble with blended areas than you have with horn or cone-style speakers. The Sound360° speaker from Valcom provides better quality sound in a warehouse than a traditional horn and can replace up to three to four horns as illustrated by the graphic on the right.

Sound360° Flat Panel Speaker
Valcom’s Sound360° Speaker is availabe in IP, Self-Amplified and 25/70 Volt

The Sound360° Flat Panel Speaker facilitates voice paging and high-quality background music, making it suitable for distribution warehouses, light manufacturing centers, and large retail stores. The Sound360° Flat Panel Speaker come in IP, self-amplified and 25/70 Volt. Other innovative products launched by Valcom to improve workplace efficiency and day-to-day communication include the Building Communication Panel. The Building Communication Panel helps companies streamline daily communications and allows for quick activation of emergency alerts to multiple departments and channels.

Modernizing Communications in Warehouses

Modernizing Communications in Warehouses

Wednesday, June 5, 2024

The adoption of digital technology and the movement towards “smart warehouses” is a leading topic these days that is written about in industry publications such as Industrial Distribution. These articles highlight that manufacturers and distribution warehouses are shifting toward smarter technologies to automate processes, connect employees, and create a more modern environment. This new technology shift recommends improving the communication process with employees. Automation might not come to people’s mind when they think about communicating with employees on a manufacturing floor but automating daily announcements, shift and break tones, and emergency alerts simplifies redundant tasks so your staff can keep the organization running smoothly.

In a recent study conducted by ZEBRA, it was found that the critical component to employee satisfaction and workplace efficiency is fostering a sense of unity and collaboration. As a warehouse and distribution center manager, your role in facilitating effective communication is pivotal. The flow of communication is what guides us in our roles, and informs us about who is doing what, when, and where. This is particularly crucial when examining workflows involving multiple employees or tasks. By identifying operation areas where overall workflow improved could increase speed accuracy and productivity, you can help streamline operations well into the future. To identify productivity bottlenecks, start by asking the question, “How can I help my teams communicate better and faster?” For midsize organizations, warehouse distribution centers, and light manufacturing facilities, the task of finding a communication solution can be overwhelming. The need for a reliable, comprehensive and cost-effective communication system is crucial for these organizations to maintain operational efficiency and safety.

What Solutions Exists to Help Streamline Communications in Warehouses?

VIP-895-S Images. touchscreen console with colored icons enclosed in a grey casing.
VIP-895-S Building Communication Panel

Valcom’s latest solution, the VIP-895 Series, does precisely what midsize organization need: it simplifies complex communication needs, ensures rapid and secure emergency alerts and daily paging. The VIP-895-S Building Communication Panel and the VIP-895-E Emergency Communication Panel are designed with user-friendliness in mind. They simplify communication complexities and streamline emergency notifications. This ensures that even those with minimal technical expertise can easily navigate the systems, providing a sense of reassurance within your organization. Let’s take a closer look at these two panels.

Streamline Daily & Emergency Communications with the VIP-895 Series

The VIP-895 Series is engineered to seamlessly enhance daily paging and emergency communications.

  • One-Touch Messaging: Send recorded audio, live voice paging and text to LED signs and desktop popups with a single touch.
  • Intercom Support: Easily make intercom calls to Valcom IP speakers, ensuring clear and immediate communication across your organization.
  • Scheduled Notifications: Automate shift and break-tone scheduling to maintain a well-organized workflow.
  • Secure Emergency Alerts: Quickly relay emergency notifications with PIN code security, targeting specific departments or groups as needed.
  • Pre-recorded Alerts: Streamline emergency responses with pre-recorded messages that save time when it matters most.
  • ShakeAlert® Compatibility: Be prepared for earthquakes with integrated ShakeAlert® technology, allowing for immediate and effective responses.

By integrating these features, the VIP-895 Series simplifies the process of keeping everyone informed, making it a valuable tool for enhancing workplace efficiency. In additional to efficiency, the VIP-895 series provides the peace of mind that comes with knowing your organization can respond swiftly and effectively to any emergency.

Enhancing Efficiency in Light Manufacturing and Warehouses

The VIP-895-S and VIP-895-E are designed to improve workplace efficiency and communication in light manufacturing facilities and warehouses. These panels streamline daily operations and ensure emergency alerts are handled efficiently and securely.

A Cost-Effective Solution without Compromising Quality

What sets the VIP-895 Series apart is its ability to deliver robust functionality without the added expense of extra servers. This cost-effective approach means that midsize organizations can benefit from top-tier communication solutions without straining their budgets. These panels are set to become essential tools in any organization’s communication strategy by simplifying complex communication needs and ensuring quick, secure alerts.

Valcom Introduces the VIP-895 Series

Next-Level Communication Panels for Enhanced Alerting

Roanoke, Va., (May 13, 2024) – Valcom, a division of Potter Global Technologies and a premier provider of emergency notification solutions, has introduced its newest offerings: the latest Building Communication Panel (VIP-895-S) and the Emergency Communication Panel (VIP-895-E). These cutting-edge systems cater specifically to midsize organizations seeking a streamlined notification solution for everyday and emergency alerts. What sets these panels apart is their ability to deliver robust functionality without the added expense of extra servers.

“Our VIP-895 Series reflects Valcom’s commitment to empowering midsize organizations with efficient, cost-effective solutions,” said Dan Smith, vice president of sales and support solutions at Valcom.
”With these new panels, we’re simplifying communication complexities and streamlining emergency notifications so you can reach every eye and ear within your organization.”

The Building Communication Panel simplifies daily communications in organizations. It allows one-touch sending of recorded audio, live voice messages, and text to LED signs and desktop popups. It supports intercom calls to Valcom IP speakers, scheduling of shift and break tones and emergency notifications with PIN code security access. It is designed for rapid relay of information and emergency alerts to multiple departments or targeted groups.

The Emergency Communication Panel, with its user-friendly interface, enables quick alerts to multiple departments or targeted messages, with secure access through PIN codes. The VIP-895-E streamlines emergency notifications with pre-recorded alerts, is ideal for earthquake-prone areas, and is ShakeAlert® compatible, empowering you to respond swiftly and effectively.

Sound360 Improving Audio Solutions

Improving Audio Solutions in Warehouse Distribution and Industrial Facilities

February 2024

Many warehouse distribution centers face limitations in their audio technology, often restricted to basic one-way paging announcements without the ability to play quality background music.  The audio is typically transmitted through horns, which are not designed for music reproduction. This leads to poor audio quality and can cause premature horn failure.  Consequently, workers resort to listening to their music through headphones or the mixed sounds of the conveyor belt, forklift, and other machinery equipment. However, OSHA has cautioned against using headphones since “listening to music via headphones may produce a safety hazard by masking environmental sounds that need to be heard.” In today’s competitive labor market, where companies struggle to hire and retain employees in manufacturing, exploring solutions that will enhance employee satisfaction and well-being is essential.  In a recent study of 500 workers, 87% of those surveyed said they “think that playing music creates a positive working environment.”   

What audio solutions exist that will improve the work environment?

According to this 2023 article from Geekwire.com, Amazon is testing headphones at some fulfillment centers, incorporating strict controls to comply with OSHA safety standards. However, ongoing headphone provision can be costly and does not allow for important paging announcements. 

An alternative solution worth considering is the Sound 360 warehouse speaker from Valcom. This innovative speaker offers 360-degree coverage in open spaces and generates minimal reverberation compared to traditional cone-type speakers. Unlike headphones, Sound 360 can facilitate voice paging and background music, making it suitable for distribution warehouses, light manufacturing centers, and large retail stores. Notably, a prominent home improvement retailer has adopted the Sound 360 in all their US distribution centers.  Other innovative products launched by Valcom to improve workplace efficiency and day-to-day communication include the Building Communication Panel. The Building Communication Panel helps companies streamline daily communications and allows for quick activation of emergency alerts to multiple departments and channels. To learn more, contact your Regional Sales Manager or email us. 

When Seconds Count

Be Proactive in Your Emergency Preparedness for Earthquakes

March 2024

In a world where natural disasters pose significant threats to life safety, communities, and infrastructure, the need for proactive measures to mitigate their impact is a top priority. Among these disasters, earthquakes are sudden, destructive forces capable of causing widespread devastation within seconds. Yet, amidst the unpredictable nature of seismic events, Valcom’s Earthquake Early Warning System provides on-premises notifications triggered by the USGS ShakeAlert® to alert individuals to take protective actions – DROP! COVER! HOLD ON!

Earthquake early warning systems are pivotal in disaster preparedness and response strategies. These systems leverage technology and scientific understanding to detect seismic activity and provide vital seconds to minutes of warning before destructive shaking occurs. The importance of such warnings cannot be overstated, and here are compelling reasons why investing in earthquake early warning systems is paramount.

First and foremost, the paramount concern in any disaster scenario is preserving human life. With their abrupt onset and potential for catastrophic consequences, Earthquakes demand swift and decisive action. By providing advance notice of impending seismic activity, early warning systems offer precious moments for individuals, communities, and emergency responders to enact life-saving measures. Whether taking cover, securing hazardous materials, or initiating evacuation procedures, even a few seconds of warning can significantly mitigate casualties and injuries. Investing in Valcom’s Earthquake Early Warning System is a proactive approach to disaster risk reduction, and providing early earthquake notifications is imperative to saving lives.

The benefits of early warning systems are universal, whether in seismically active regions prone to frequent earthquakes or areas with historically low seismicity. As stewards of our collective safety and well-being, we must prioritize investments in resilient infrastructure and emergency disaster preparedness measures. Valcom has added its Earthquake Early Warning System to its latest product, the VIP-895-E Emergency Communications Panel. The Emergency Communication Panel is a wall-mounted device designed for facilities of any size that integrates with your existing overhead paging system and Valcom visual displays to send emergency alerts to notify employees. VIP-895-E receives ShakeAlert messages, and once the message is received, the VIP-895-E is triggered to send out an Earthquake Early Warning audibly, visibility, or both to satisfy OSHA and ADA regulations.

By adopting Valcom’s Earthquake Early Warning System, you mitigate the immediate seismic risks and enhance safety measures to save lives.