While implementing a text alerts strategy will help organizations reach a large number of recipients relatively quickly, the exact timeliness of the messaging can vary depending on the tools used to launch this campaign. If the program is designed to send emergency texts, time should be a factor and messages should be constructed to be received as soon as possible.

However, that is not always the case. At the University of Iowa and Iowa State University, less than half of the students who signed up for a text alerts program are receiving their messages on time, according to a report from the Pilot Tribune. Meanwhile, Buena Vista University, another member of Iowa's public campuses, is having great success pushing its messages out to recipients in a short amount of time. The inconsistent nature of these systems is likely due to the technology being used to send out text messages, and indicates that using the best possible tools is of the utmost importance.

However, despite the issues, experts are still insistent on the effectiveness of SMS services. Michael Hanley, a researcher in the Iowa public university system who has studied on campus cell phone use since 2005, told the news source that he believes texting is still the best communication method.

"The best way to respond [to an emergency] is to have the most instantaneous message delivery on a college campus, and that by far is text messaging," Hanley said.

As long as organizations implement the right systems to assist with their texting efforts, they will find success reaching large groups as quickly as possible. Swift SMS Gateway offers the tools needed to orchestrate effective SMS messaging and send them in a timely manner.