Sending Omnilert alerts to ScreenCloud via Common Alert Protocol (CAP)

This guide will walk through how to set up Omnilert to send alerts to ScreenCloud (www.screencloud.com) for display on digital signs and other devices running Screencloud. This connection will use Omnilert's Common Alert Protocol (CAP) endpoint to push messages to Screencloud.

To start, please review ScreenCloud's documentation at https://screencloud.com/learn/emergency-alerts-app-guide 

From Step 3.5 in Screencloud's documentation, select "Omnilert" as the provider and then copy the Feed URL, Username, and Password provided by ScreenCloud. We'll need those in Omnilert's setup below.

The steps below will cover setting up Omnilert's system to send CAP alerts to Screencloud.

Setting up a CAP endpoint in Omnilert

Log into Omnilert as a Super Admin. You will need access to add/remove endpoints to configure this connection. 

Go to Endpoints on the main menu in Omnilert.

Next, click Add new endpoint to add a new CAP endpoint:

• Set the "endpoint type" as "CAP"
• Set the name for this new CAP feed as "Screencloud"(You could use any name you'd like to call your Screencloud system.)

Click "Add endpoint" to add a new active endpoint to save our new active endpoint in Omnilert.

In the list of endpoints, click on the new "Screencloud" endpoint...



Next, we need to configure this new CAP endpoint to send Omilert alerts to Screencloud. This is where we'll need those three items from Screencloud's settings. (Feed URL, username, and password)

Click on the "Configuration" tab.

Enter the three items from Screencloud as follows:

• Default URL to post to= Feed URL from Screencloud
• Username= Username 
• Password= Password 

Next, we need to set the CAP default fields. There are many CAP fields that Screencloud requires to be filled out. Some CAP options are marked as "not used" so you can leave those blank or fill in anything you'd like.

• Default sender: Omnilert
• Default status: Actual
• Default message type: Alert
• Default source: not used
• Default scope: Restricted
• Default category: Safety
• Default event: Omnilert Alert
• Default response type: None
• Default urgency: Immediate
• Default severity: Extreme
• Default certainty: Observed
• Default hours to expire: not used
• Default sender name: Omnilert
• Default instruction: This is the text to show at the bottom of the screen on Screencloud.

Also, be sure to select the checkbox for "Send CAP 'Test' messages as Service Status checks." at the bottom of the list. Screencloud requires this option to function.



Finally, just scroll to the bottom of the CAP settings (there are a lot of them) and click Update Configuration to save your settings for your CAP endpoint.

Sending Omnilert alerts to CAP (ScreenCloud)

When you send alerts to the new "Screencloud" endpoint in Omnilert, they will be sent to your Screencloud system.  

On the Send Message page, select "SCREENCLOUD" from your list of endpoints (SMS, EMAIL, etc.) in "Step 2 Select How" and the alert will be sent to the Screencloud system via CAP.



(From this point, continue on with Screencloud's instructions in Step 5.4)

When you send an alert to Screencloud, the subject & message from Omnilert will be displayed along with your "Default instruction" text at the bottom.

Example: