Blue Sombrero Wins Big with FREE+ Text Messaging From RainedOut

Industry-first free mobile communication system now available to all Blue Sombrero clients nationwide

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Jun 02, 2011, 10:39 ET

LEESBURG, Va., June 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- RainedOut™, the leading provider of free event and group communication services, announced today that Blue Sombrero has partnered with them to offer FREE+ group messaging to all Blue Sombrero customers nationwide. The partnership creates a seamless integration between the two services that enables Blue Sombrero clients to update their field status and simultaneously send free text messages to all relevant registered users in one step. The FREE+ aspect of RainedOut also allows Blue Sombrero and all of their clients to use the system as a fundraising tool.

"No one wants to rush to a game in bad weather to find out that it's been cancelled," said Blue Sombrero CEO and Founder Erik Stadler. "We know how busy families can be and by partnering with RainedOut, Blue Sombrero is continuing to improve sports management through innovative technology. Now players and parents can receive alerts at the grocery store, at home or in the car, to minimize confusion and keep our players safe."

Williamson County Soccer Association in Franklin, Tenn. uses both Blue Sombrero and RainedOut. "We have more than 2,100 players in the spring season," explains Mary K Anderson, executive director of the association. "Getting the message out quickly is a huge asset to our organization, so we don't have frustrated parents and coaches. Most everybody has a cell phone so it's really a no brainer to use."

Anderson continued, "It makes things easier for our parents, especially when they have multiple kids and going in multiple directions. They absolutely love being notified on their cell phone and not having to find a computer or hear a busy signal on the rain out hotline."

Blue Sombrero clients and their community no longer need to sign up at RainedOut.com to receive text message alerts for game cancellations, delays, changes, or any other timely news. When Blue Sombrero clients update their field status, everyone instantly receives the news on whatever device or service they have registered. Besides SMS text messages, the news can also be received via emails, Facebook posts, tweets or on other web sites. Blue Sombrero clients also can issue alerts from the field or venue just by texting it, so there is no need to run to a computer or update a phone hotline.

The FREE+ fundraising aspect of RainedOut allows Blue Sombrero and all of its clients to raise money. Each time a Blue Sombrero client finds a local advertiser in their community to sponsor their messages, the league or team, along with Blue Sombrero, earns a portion of the advertising revenue with every free message sent.

Story photo: www.RainedOut.com/media/RainedOut_Blue_Sombrero_Integration.jpg

About Blue Sombrero

Founded in 2002, Blue Sombrero is one of the country's largest providers for online registration and custom web design for youth sports, with customers in more than 40 states nationwide. Headquartered in Atlanta, more information about Blue Sombrero can be found at www.bluesombrero.com and on Twitter @Blue_Sombrero.

About RainedOut

Used by 1,000s of organizations, award-winning RainedOut is the leading event and group communication service. This FREE+, sponsor-supported service enables non-technical people to send instant alerts to the entire community for improved communication. It is used to cancel events, change plans, send reminders, and much more. Groups can raise money with every alert sent. As a cloud-based service, messages can initiate from any net-connected computer or from the field using a standard cell phone. With one simple interface, RainedOut instantly and simultaneously broadcasts alerts to subscribers' mobile phones (via SMS text message) and e-mail accounts, and to the organizations' own Web pages, RainedOut Page, Facebook Page, and Twitter Account. Learn more at www.RainedOut.com.

About Omnilert

Omnilert, LLC develops intuitive communication technologies that keep communities safe and connected. The company's flagship service is a Tier-1 unified mass notification system that enables a single person to communicate timely information to thousands of people anywhere, anytime, on any device or service. The award-winning company's 3,000 clients include the U.S. Army, Bayer, Mazda, sanofi-aventis, Arizona State University, Penn State, Marine Corps Marathon, YMCA, American Red Cross, and UNICEF. Omnilert solutions are sold under the brand names e2Campus, Amerilert, and RainedOut. The privately held company is headquartered in Leesburg, Va., and at www.omnilert.com online.

SOURCE Omnilert, LLC