NEW MESSAGE CENTER WILL EXPAND ARRT ONLINE SERVICES

ARRT continues to expand our online services by embarking on a major new online initiative: Message Center. The goals of Message Center are to make it easier for R.T.s and other account users to communicate with ARRT and for ARRT to communicate with them on subjects such as obtaining ARRT credentials, maintaining them, and conducting business with ARRT.

FIRST PHASE

We’re developing Message Center in several phases. The first, in fall 2020, will introduce basic messaging functions. We’ll replace the current Message Us feature in online ARRT accounts with a new user interface. When users access Message Center through their online ARRT accounts, they’ll be able to compose and send messages to ARRT, view sent messages, and read ARRT’s responses. The ability for R.T.s to reply to messages will go live in phase two.

ADDITIONAL PHASES

Over the next year, ARRT developers will add more features to Message Center. Benefits of the completed Message Center will include:

• Security: Communication will be much more secure because confidential information will be housed in one highly secure location rather than sent to individual emails that can be compromised.
• Message Thread: Users will be able to access a message thread showing communications on a specific topic. They won’t have to keep track of multiple emails in a discussion.
• Multiple Platforms: Message Center will be available on multiple platforms, including desktop and mobile devices (such as smartphones or tablets). The user experience on these will evolve as Message Center is further developed.
• Less Mail: Information sent through the U.S. Postal Service from ARRT to R.T.s will decrease as Message Center becomes a central communications hub for R.T.s and ARRT.
• Text Notifications: Ultimately, users will be able to choose text notifications of messages in Message Center.

Using Message Center will be very important to maintain ARRT certification and registration. In 2021, we’ll send all R.T.s a user agreement. The agreement will establish Message Center as the vehicle for which official ARRT business is communicated with each R.T. It also means R.T.s will agree to read the messages when they’re alerted to them.

ARRT will provide future updates as Message Center continues to progress.