NEW YORK and FLORHAM PARK, N.J.—Mass notification vendor Send Word Now has signed an exclusive multi-year deal with Siemens Building Technologies to integrate its messaging software with Siemens' premise-based fire-safety mass notification product, Sygnal.

The deal comes following a period of due diligence by Siemens, said Peter Tately, Siemens sales development manager for mass notification, where Send Word Now "very quickly evidence to us that they had a commitment to quality in their organization and a solid infrastructure. This is an arena where there are a lot of players, and it's hard to differentiate between them, but Send Word Now is a player that's at the level we intend on being at."

Tately said Send Word Now's delivery capabilities were impressive, "but their ability to get word, that reporting capability on what's been delivered," helped separate the company technologically.

"Siemens is one of the most prestigious brands in the world," said Tony Schmitz, Send Word Now CEO. "We think with the team at Siemens, we're going to enjoy a great deal of success together." Schmitz also recently celebrated $14 million in Series C funding.

Some of the product integration is still to be done, said both executives. "We'll be providing our Web services OEM interface to the Siemens team," Schmitz said, "and they'll be writing to our API to allow this message transport to occur."

Part of the reason for the exclusivity agreement, said Tately, is that "it allows us to be more open with each other as we do the integration. We're that much more committed and we'll work together that much more."

Initially, the Send Word Now-enhanced Sygnal product will be rolled out through Siemens' integration arm and through its network of value-added partners. The company is exploring, however, a wider release to other integration firms.