Skyguard Ltd., which has recently become active in the UK telecare market, today reveals the MySOS key-fob sized device which “weighs just 40 grams and is small enough to be conveniently and discretely [sic] worn as a pendant, or attached to a bunch of keys.” (Press release – PDF download) The GPS tracker with two way audio appears to be aimed primarily at the lone worker market for now and will be on show for the first time at the 2011 Safety and Health Expo, Birmingham, 17-19 May. And we see the technology and backend systems becoming more sophisticated…”For organisations wishing to manage alarm activations themselves, the device can be configured to send it’s [sic] location via a text message containing a web link to a map, to a nominated contact’s mobile phone, followed by a 2 way voice call.”
This product looks remarkably similar (except for the colour) to the Personal Tracker GPS Pendant which has been sold by Pin Point for over 12 months (http://www.personal-gps.co.uk/products/Personal-Tracker-%252d-GPS-Pendant). It will be interesting to see how much the Skyguard device has been “developed”.
I understand that the device sold by Pin Point will be one of the many GPS tracker devices that will be compared in the T-Cubed Telecare EPG report due to be published next month.
Hi Kevin,
I can confirm that Skyguard Ltd are the official UK distributor of this product and hold the exclusive rights to sell the product here.
With regards to the similar looking device sold by Pinpoint, as far as we are aware they have sold very few units and their product is a basic mobile phone tracking device sourced from the far East, (prior to Skyguard holding the UK rights). Our version has been specifically developed as a Telecare product, which connects to our own 24/7 Monitoring Centre should the user press the SOS button. Not only is the device configured to work with our bespoke alarm receiving software at the Centre, but as part of the subscription package the account owner can update their personal information on a secure portal, including details such as medical conditions/history. From this portal they can also run location map and activity reports and even assign the device to another user’s details, all at the click of mouse button. The product has been proven in use with a number of Corporates, Councils and private customers.
Thanks, Will, for responding to my challenge.
I guess that you are saying that the device that you are offering is the same as the Pinpoint one – but different in terms of the way that it can be configured. The research by CUHTec members (and by T-Cubed for their product comparison report) shows that the GPS locator market has matured rapidly over the past 2 years and that there are now more than a dozen products competing for a market that is opening up as the many ethical issues seem to have been adequately addressed.
In addition to those devices that look like small mobile phones running apps, there is a good choice between devices that are based on a watch, and those that may be attached to a keyring (or simply carried in a pocket or a handbag). It will be interesting to see if the market wants products that an individual buys for their own relative and which they will monitor and respond to without using external agencies.
Personally, I believe that people will need such devices for a relatively short period of time and will also need a service to provide monitoring and location for them. This does indeed support the use of GPS locators and alarms within telecare services – but the question remains whether they should be local (and capable of providing a physical response) or national and able to alert relatives only.