ASC approached Westlake Software, Inc. to create a wireless messaging system that would enable them to

use the latest two-way wireless technology, with the Internet that in combination, would allow both the

instantaneous notification of these users; but more importantly a way to easily see that each user

acknowledged receipt of the message and how many megawatts they could shed at that time. ASC also

required an easy-to-use method, which would display the secondary contact information for each

participant who had not acknowledged the power down request.

Selecting the private extranet option from Westlake Software, the application allows ASC to populate their

own database of two-way wireless users directly into a securely hosted site. These users can be placed into

groups/sub-groups depending on such things as their location within the state, whereby for example, alerts

can be sent city, county or statewide depending on the need. When the ISO alerts ASC of an impending

overload, ASC selects a group of recipients then configures a time period which they consider acceptable for

the acknowledgement of this alert. ASC then activates the alert, which transmits the power down message

nearly instantaneously to all of the selected participants.

The participants of the alert will receive a new message on their two-way device, which they will be asked

to respond to. The application retrieves the response of each and every participant and populates the

response list with who did and who did not respond. After the pre-set time period for this alert has been

reached, the response list will display the name, company, phone number, secondary phone number, and a

back-up contact for those who for whatever reason, did not respond to the alert message. ASC only needs to

focus on this relatively small amount of contacts, and inform them of this missed alert by whatever

secondary means is available.