SmartTek Systems Grants OnWatch of Australia Exclusive Rights
Continuing its aggressive expansion, SmartTek Systems, Inc., a provider of mobile, smartphone-based, personal security, announced it has signed an agreement granting OnWatch PTY, Ltd. of Australia exclusive distribution rights in that country for its trio of apps. Onwatch, established in 2004, is a privately owned and accredited central alarm monitoring center located in the Double Bay area of Sydney, Australia. The Onwatch agreement marks the first of several international agreements SmartTek says it is working to establish.
“Using the SmartTek Systems app & infrastructure we see exciting new opportunities to offer our customers better protection and innovative new services, the sort of added value that is impossible to provide with traditional systems and through conventional suppliers,” said David Sweet, managing director, Onwatch Pty Ltd Australia. “This move will position Onwatch as a leading player in the Australian mobile PERS market and signals a fundamental change in the opportunities for the provision of Personal Safety and Medical Emergency services. It heralds a step-change in the Australian mobile Personal Emergency Response Service market.”
The trio of apps is comprised of the previously announced SmartAlert: a panic, safety, and mobile personal emergency response system (mPERS) designed to preserve the user’s personal privacy; SmartGuard: designed to give families peace-of-mind by providing optional location information about family members; and SmartTrack: a powerful fleet-tracking and mobile productivity solution for small businesses. Pilot testing of the new app offerings has been ongoing with central stations for months and the service will soon be ready to come to market.
“The landscape of the alarm industry is changing not just in the US but internationally and the agreement with Onwatch will keep SmartTek at the forefront of bringing that change to a global audience,” said SmartTek Co-founder Barry Schweiger, co-founder and former president, Fire Burglary Instruments, Inc. “By extending protection services to subscribers and their families when they are out of their homes, at school, work or out enjoying themselves, security companies can practically guarantee increased RMR and lowered attrition rates. We see this as a very strong closing tool for dealers.”
“SmartTek’s turnkey platform removes the obstacles that previously prevented central stations from entering the mPERS market,” said SmartTek’s Technical Consultant Mark Fischer. “We’ve eliminated the prohibitive hardware, software, and maintenance fees other solutions impose. SmartTek’s software integrates with virtually any existing central station automation system. We even provide the PSAP database, and were still able provide the service at what we believe to be the lowest cost per app.”
SmartTek’s Apps eliminate the need to purchase any additional equipment, and there are no additional cellular charges to the central station, dealer or subscriber. Dealers simply have their subscribers sign up, download and install the app on their iPhone or Android smartphone and they are immediately protected.