Vertical Markets

Award for lone worker application

by Mark Rowe

Guardian24, Belfast based company were awarded the IFSEC award for ‘Lone Worker Protection Solution of the Year’ for their Android application ‘Work Safe, Work Smart’ via an Android smartphone.

The IFSEC and FIREX Awards in May at the Hilton Metropole Birmingham at black tie dinner were hosted by rugby star Austin Healey.

The application was launched in March 2012, after a survey using a sample audience of 30,000 lone workers who use a lone worker solution. The results showed that 87pc of these lone workers used their lone worker solution via their mobile phone or smartphone. Since its launch the Android app has been adapted by various clients within local authorities, housing associations, charities and most recently a UK insurance company. Clients use the Android solution in various ways, the makers say.

Guardian24 say that it allows customers to take advantage of the trend towards BYOD (bring your own device) among employees, freeing employers from the financial and time inherent in the device evaluation and procurement. Users now have a lone worker solution on the device they are familiar with. The G24 app evolves as part of the Android mobile platform.

Lone workers can log timed activities giving all details of their task and whereabouts, get GPS fixes of their location and raise an alert through a panic button in a time of need. An alert can be raised even if the smartphone keyboard is locked, this enables the lone worker to summon help covertly; without alerting the source of the threat. In an emergency Guardian24 will record live audio and notify nominated respondents or an Alarm Receiving Centre enabling them to assess the seriousness of the threat and level of response necessary. With an smartphone, lone workers can use a single portable device for email, voice, text and now personal safety.

Guardian24 is used by over 33,000 people in the UK and Ireland, in Housing, NHS, Financial Institutions, Local Government and Charities, as Housing Officers, District Nurses, Estate Agents and Community Workers.

Henry Woods, CEO of Guardian24, said: “We are really thrilled at winning this award, it means a lot to us; firstly it validates our passionate belief in the appropriateness of smartphones as a means to bring assistance to lone and mobile workers when things go wrong. It makes perfect sense for workers to have their safety app on a familiar device that they always carry, charge and have close at hand. Secondly the award recognises the unique technical strengths of our company and the ability of our in-house designers and software developers to produce professional, reliable software – a key requirement when our users’ safety is an issue. Android is the world’s most popular mobile platform and we are delighted to be recognised for our innovative and cutting edge lone worker solution.”

Visit www.guardian24.co.uk

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