Acision and Echometrix to Deliver Breakthrough Mobile Parental Control Solution to Operators Through Acision Innovation Network
By Acision Echometrix Inc, PRNETuesday, March 23, 2010
Integration of Echometrix Technology With Acision Message Plus to Address unmet Need for Preventative Measures Against Cyberbullying and Other Inappropriate Messages
PLANO, Texas, March 24, 2010 - Acision, a world leader in mobile data, and Echometrix, Inc., a leader in
online family safety technology, today announced an alliance to deliver a
breakthrough parental control solution available to mobile operators,
addressing concerns among subscribers over cyberbullying and other high-risk
mobile text communications. The solution will be the first network-based,
universal parental text monitoring system which works with all text messaging
enabled mobile phones.
The two companies are working together through the Acision Innovation
Network to provide an integrated offering for advanced parental control that
is unique in today's mobile marketplace. The solution enables operators to
offer services such as monitoring and alerts to parents when a child
encounters questionable messages. The joint solution is based on Acision's
Message Plus platform and Echometrix's FamilySafe technology, developed in
cooperation with the AmberWatch Foundation. Acision's Message Plus platform
enables operators to personalize the messaging experience, a capability that
is generally not available in today's mobile messaging solutions.
Echometrix's FamilySafe technology enhances the parental control feature set
on Acision's Message Plus platform by identifying whether sent and received
messages contain inappropriate or potentially harmful content.
Consumer research commissioned by Acision showed that the majority of
parents (82 percent) would like to have more control over when their child
can send messages, what content they can send and receive, and with whom
their child is exchanging mobile messages. Over half (57 percent) of the
parents surveyed would be more likely to let their child have a mobile phone
if more control features were offered by carriers. Offering parental control
features will potentially have operators looking at a significant increase in
mobile phone adoption among teenagers and more noteworthy, pre-teens.
"With the rise of cyberbullying, and other forms of inappropriate
messaging, it is increasingly important that individuals, particularly
parents, have control over mobile messaging usage to help prevent abuse,"
said Taco Schoute, Head of Messaging at Acision. "Acision is taking steps to
continuously improve the ability to personally control the messaging
experience, both for parents and their children. Working with a leader in
parental control and online protection to deliver a universal solution is
regarded a major leap forward and offers operators the ability to better
protect the younger subscribers and give families more peace of mind."
"Our work with Acision is an important step in the ongoing effort to help
families protect children from predators, bullying, inappropriate content and
other dangers in today's increasingly mobile world," said Jeffery Greene,
Chief Executive Officer of Echometrix. "This is a truly powerful
collaboration, as we are very much aware of the challenges parents face with
their kids' usage of the digital world, and as the leading provider of mobile
data service solutions, Acision is best equipped to enable mass market access
to this breakthrough solution."
Acision's Message Plus provides a personalized messaging service, which
enriches basic person-2-person messaging and provides subscribers with more
control through features such as divert, copy and automated reply messages.
By enabling flexible integration with partners like Echometrix, mobile
operators are able to continuously differentiate their messaging service
while also providing its subscribers with the services they require.
FamilySafe is committed to developing best-of-breed parental control
tools, featuring timely analysis and instant notification regardless of the
source of the child's communication including mobile phone text messaging,
IM's, and other types of social related media. FamilySafe has leveraged years
of experience in protecting children on the Internet to create an easy to use
and effective mobile solution for parents, providing instant notification
when potentially "dangerous" situations are happening from a text messaging
interaction. Notably, the AmberWatch Foundation, a leading advocate in child
safety, and FamilySafe have joined forces in an effort to shield children
from harmful material and the growing problems faced each day on the
Internet. Together they have launched an innovative product offering enabling
parents to protect their children from increasingly prevalent dangers such as
online predators, dangerous Web content and high-risk online behaviour such
as cyber-bullying.
Echometrix joins more than 100 Acision Innovation Network partners from
across the communications industry working with Acision on the creation and
marketing of new applications and services to advance the way the world
communicates.
NOTES TO EDITORS
About Acision
As a world leader in mobile data, Acision aims to power innovation and
profitable growth in mobile data services. As a pioneer of mobile messaging,
Acision's real time mobile data solutions support its customers worldwide to
drive new revenues with innovative services while controlling, optimising and
monetising data traffic. For more information, visit Acision at
www.acision.com
The Acision Innovation Network
The Acision Innovation Network is a partnership-based ecosystem that
enables the global communications community to collaborate on the creation of
new applications and services to advance the way the world communicates. For
more information, visit Acision at www.acision.com/innovation.
About Echometrix
Echometrix (OTCBB: EHMI) develops software services committed to online
protection and family safety and specializes in developing digital tools that
delivers brand metrics and timely market intelligence. For more information,
visit www.echometrix.com
Press contacts: Kevin Walters, Marketing Executive, North America, Acision, Tel: +1-972-246-5404, Email: kevin.walters at acision.com; Sarah Thomas, Topaz Partners, Tel: +1-781-404-2427, Email: acision at topazpartners.com; Peter Charles, Director of Corporate Affairs, Echometrix, Inc., Tel: +1-516-808-0223, Email: pcharles at echometrix.com
Tags: Acision & Echometrix Inc, March 24, Plano, texas