Nixle

About Nixle

Nixle operates a cloud-based communication platform designed to connect public safety agencies, municipalities, schools, and businesses with the communities they serve. Founded in 2007 by Craig Mitnick and Firas Emachah, the company established itself as a critical tool for hyperlocal, real-time information dissemination. Its core service enables government and public safety organizations to send geographically targeted alerts to residents via SMS text messages, email, voice calls, social media, and a dedicated mobile application. The platform is utilized for a range of critical notifications, including severe weather events, evacuations, active shooter incidents, missing person alerts, and traffic disruptions.

The service is structured to provide secure and authenticated communications, ensuring that information received by the public is from a trusted source. For residents, the service is free, allowing them to opt-in by texting a zip code or keyword, and they can customize the types of alerts they receive. Nixle's business model for agencies initially included a free basic service to build a user base, with revenue generated from premium subscription-based plans that offered expanded functionality. These premium offerings included services like Nixle Dial and Nixle InterConnect. The platform also facilitates two-way communication, enabling residents to provide real-time, anonymous tips via text.

A significant milestone in the company's history was its partnership with Google in 2013, which integrated Nixle's alerts into Google Public Alerts. This allowed critical, Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) compliant messages to appear in Google Search, Google Maps, and Google Now, vastly expanding their reach beyond Nixle's direct subscriber base. In January 2015, Nixle was acquired by Everbridge, a global leader in critical event management. The acquisition combined Everbridge's extensive emergency notification systems with Nixle's community engagement platform, aiming to create a more comprehensive communication network for public and private organizations. At the time of the acquisition, Nixle served over 7,000 public safety agencies.