La création du terme MSGU date de l’hiver 2012, une traduction de SMEM – Social Media in Emergency Management.
Au niveau international, VISOV est la seule équipe VOST (Virtual Operations Support Team) francophone. L’association est membre de la Coalition Virtual Operations Support Group (VOSG) animée par Joanna Lane.
Le concept de VOST a vu le jour au Nouveau-Mexique, en 2011.
Il existe aujourd’hui 38 équipes à travers le monde dont 14 anglophones et 18 espagnoles. Le Canada dispose d’une équipe plus anglophone que francophone (2 membres). Enfin, l’Australie dispose d’une équipe qui fonctionne 24/7.
Virtual Operations Support Teams (VOST) as applied to emergency management and disaster recovery is an effort to make use of new communication technologies and social media tools so that a team of trusted agents can lend support via the internet to those on-site who may otherwise be overwhelmed by the volume of data generated during a disaster. VOS Teams (VOST) are activated to perform specific functions in support of affected organizations & jurisdictions. Each VOST has a Team Leader that reports directly to the affected organization/jurisdiction. As additional VOSTs are established, a VOS Group (VOSG) may be established to coordinate the work of the VOSTs to maintain an effective span of control. The VOSG has a Group Supervisor that reports to the affected organization/jurisdiction. The VOST Leaders report to the Group Supervisor.