This article explains how to configure InformaCast for use with Skykit emergency alerts.
Enabling this integration requires active coordination with the Skykit team. You must contact support@skykit.com to complete the initial backend setup before your InformaCast configuration will work.
You will also need an active InformaCast license with Outbound CAP capability.
Understanding Skykit Tenants
Skykit uses a “tenant” structure to help customers organize their content and devices. A tenant is a grouping of devices that provides a way of managing content and access to Skykit products.
Alerts sent through this integration are delivered to all displays within a tenant simultaneously. For example, a school district might have three tenants: High School, Middle School, and Athletic Department. Each tenant must be individually enabled for the InformaCast integration. If you want different groups of displays to receive different alerts, each group should be its own tenant with its own InformaCast Notification Profile.
Setup Steps with Skykit
- Contact support@skykit.com and provide a list of the tenants you want to enable for InformaCast emergency alerts.
- Provide a username and password that you would like to use for the integration. Skykit will register these credentials securely.
- Skykit will provide you with a Tenant Code for each enabled tenant. Keep these codes handy for the next section.
Configuration Steps
The following steps are performed in the InformaCast administration dashboard. You will need administrator access to InformaCast to complete these steps.
Create an Outbound CAP Endpoint
- Log in to the InformaCast dashboard.
- In the left navigation panel, select Recipients, then Outbound Systems, and click Outbound CAP.
- Click Create Outbound CAP Endpoint in the upper right corner.
- Enter a descriptive name for this endpoint, such as "Skykit Emergency Alerts".
- Next to Connection Configuration, click the + icon.
- For the connection configuration, enter the following:
- Name: Skykit CAP Connection
- Endpoint URL: https://devices.skykit.app/api/v1/informacastEvent
- Username: The username you provided to Skykit
- Password: The password you provided to Skykit
- Click Save on the connection configuration dialog.
- Click Save to save the Outbound CAP endpoint.
Create a Notification Profile
You will need one Notification Profile for each Skykit tenant you want to receive alerts.
- In the left navigation panel, select Notifications, then click Notification Profiles.
- Click Create to add a new profile.
- Enter a descriptive name that identifies the Skykit tenant it corresponds to.
- Navigate to the Outbound CAP section in the top navigation bar of the profile settings.
- Scroll to the bottom of this section to find Additional Parameters.
- Add a new parameter with the following values:
- Name: tenant
- Value: The Tenant Code provided by Skykit for this tenant
- In the Recipients section of the profile, add the Outbound CAP endpoint you created in the previous section.
- Click Save to save the Notification Profile.
The tenant parameter is how Skykit knows which displays to send the alert to. If this value is missing or incorrect, the alert will not reach your screens.
If you have multiple Skykit tenants that should receive alerts, repeat the Notification Profile creation steps above for each tenant, using the corresponding Tenant Code in the tenant parameter for each profile.
Apply the Notification Profile
The Notification Profile you created must be selected whenever you send an alert that should appear on Skykit displays. When composing an ad-hoc alert or configuring a message template in InformaCast, include the appropriate Skykit Notification Profile to ensure the alert is routed to your displays.
Testing Alerts
Before relying on this integration in a real emergency, it is essential to test that everything is working correctly.
- Send a test alert from InformaCast using the Notification Profile you configured.
- Confirm that all displays in the target Skykit tenant show the alert content.
- Cancel the alert or allow it to expire.
- Confirm that displays return to their normal scheduled content.
We strongly recommend incorporating this test into your regular emergency preparedness drills to ensure the integration continues to function correctly over time.
Alert Templates
Alert templates are the visual layout and content displayed on your screens during an alert. These are currently managed by Skykit. The default integration includes a standard alert template.
If you would like to use a custom template that matches your organization's branding or includes specific instructions, please send your request to support@skykit.com with your desired HTML template file or design specifications.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Possible Cause | What to Do |
|---|---|---|
| Alerts are not appearing on displays | The tenant parameter is missing or incorrect |
Check the Additional Parameters section of your Notification Profile and verify the Tenant Code matches exactly what Skykit provided |
| Alerts are not appearing on displays | The username or password does not match | Confirm the credentials in your InformaCast Connection Configuration match what you provided to Skykit |
| Alerts are not appearing on displays | The Outbound CAP endpoint is not listed as a Recipient | Edit the Notification Profile and add the Outbound CAP endpoint to the Recipients list |
| Alerts are appearing on the wrong displays | Incorrect Tenant Code in the Notification Profile | Update the tenant parameter to the correct Tenant Code for the intended group of displays |
| Displays are not returning to normal content | The alert has not been cancelled in InformaCast | Cancel the alert in InformaCast or wait for the configured alert duration to expire |
| Connection errors | Network firewall blocking the connection | Contact your IT team to ensure outbound HTTPS traffic to devices.skykit.app (port 443) is permitted |
If you encounter any issues or have any questions, please reach out to support@skykit.com.