AcroVista Reinvents the School Bell with BellCommander 2.0

Austin, TX - AcroVista, an independent developer of innovative software, announces the release of BellCommander 2.0. BellCommander replaces the traditional school bell ring with an innovative PC-based system that plays anything from pleasant chime sounds to baseball-themed sounds. In the latest release of BellCommander, additional networking options are now available. Schools can now use their existing networks and PCs to create a low-cost school bell system by using BellCommander's new client/server option. In this configuration, the school installs the BellCommander server on an office PC and installs a client program on a PC in each classroom. Audio plays to the PC in each classroom when scheduled or when announcements are made from the server. Each client PC can receive different audio, so announcements can be targeted to specific classrooms and different classrooms can have different bell schedules.

BellCommander features an extremely powerful and specialized audio scheduler which supports traditional and block scheduling, assembly schedules, holidays, early dismissals, and more. The system can play any .wav or .mp3 audio file and many sounds, including more pleasant tones and chimes, are provided with BellCommander. In addition to its powerful features, BellCommander's use of standardized technologies can save thousands of dollars in equipment, installation, and maintenance costs of a traditional intercom/bell system.

BellCommander also features an innovative patent-pending design which uses network audio devices to send different audio to different locations like "zones" in a traditional intercom system. The solution is perfect for schools which have different buildings or areas on different schedules or for stores which need to play different audio to different portions of the store. The network audio devices connect via standard network connections, so no special wiring is needed from the PCs to the network audio devices. Since existing wiring and network infrastructure can be utilized, maintenance and installation costs are a fraction of a traditional intercom system. The solution has been proven in several organizations and articles on successful installations are available at http://www.acrovista.com/bellcommander

In addition to the network audio design, BellCommander also supports playing audio through a standard sound card to a public address system or local speakers. The solution is a popular replacement for mechanical bells and over 100 clients use AcroVista's custom technology in this area. For a full list and description of configurations, visit http://www.acrovista.com/bellcommander/configurations.html

BellCommander is priced in three versions ranging from $69.95 to $699.95 based on the size and complexity of the system and reseller programs are available. A free trial can be downloaded at the AcroVista website at http://www.acrovista.com/bellcommander. AcroVista is a recognized software developer with programs featured on TechTV and in numerous publications.