Remote alerts

[Sarah Reichelt]

I have an application that monitors multiple temperature sensors, 
setting off alarms if any of them go outside their required parameters. 
This is fine locally as I can have an audible and visual alarm, but now 
I'm working on what happens when something goes wrong in the middle of 
the night!

There are various methods, both active and passive, that have occurred 
to me, but I was hoping that some of you could come up with more ideas 
or methods.

Passive: web site, email (no problems here, just they reply on people 
checking)
Active: SMS, telephone call, some other brilliant idea?

Here is where my problems really begin. I haven't an idea how to do SMS 
(text messages) and while I know how to make a modem ring a phone 
number, how do I respond when the phone is answered? Is it possible to 
play a recorded sound, or use the speech commands to speak down the 
phone line?

If it makes any difference, this will be running only on Macs with OS X.

Cheers,
Sarah
sarahr at genesearch.com.au
http://www.troz.net/Rev/