What is Alertus and How Do I Verify Functionality?

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All faculty, staff and students have the ability to receive UNCW Campus emergency alerts from Alertus.

UNCW uses Alertus to display emergency alerts on all UNCW owned PCs and Macs whenever an alert is issued on the UNCW Alert page. The Alertus software is automatically installed through the UNCW image. When an emergency alert is issued, the Alertus software receives the message from the University servers and captures the entire computer screen with the alert text. Users must then acknowledge the message before returning to their computers. 

*Please note: Users must be on campus and connected to the internet via wired or wireless connection to Hawkifi to receive alerts.

How do I know if Alertus is functioning properly on my Windows computer? 

  1. The software is represented by a yellow circular icon in the system tray, located in the lower-right corner of your Windows computer. Open the arrow to reveal more icons if they are not visible.  

    Alertus desktop icon located in the task tray of Windows next to the clock.
     
  2. If you right-click it, it will display the software's status. It also shows any previous alert messages sent to the computer.  

    Alertus menu


How do I know if Alertus is working properly on my Mac?

  1. The software is represented by a clear circular icon in the menu bar at the top right of your Mac. 

    Alertus menu
     
  2. If you right-click it, it will display the software's status. It also shows any previous alert messages sent to the computer.


How do I know when Alertus is not running on my computer?

  1. If the icon is red, that means the software is disconnected. Verify the computer is connected to the internet on campus. If you do not see the Alertus icon in the system tray or menu bar, verify Alertus is installed on the computer by searching for it in your applications. If you still cannot locate it, submit a ticket using the "submit service request" link provided at the bottom of this knowledge article.  
     
  2. You can run a test alert to verify functionality at any time by choosing "View a Test Alert" in the Alertus menu: 

    Alertus sample alert message.

If you need further assistance, please submit a service request or CHAT with TAC.

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