Acision and Echometrix to Deliver Breakthrough Mobile Parental Control Solution to Operators Through Acision Innovation Network

PLANO, Texas, March 24, 2010 /PRNewswire/ --

- Integration of Echometrix Technology With Acision Message Plus to Address unmet Need for Preventative Measures Against Cyberbullying and Other Inappropriate Messages

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 http://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 http://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 http://www.echometrix.com

SOURCE Acision & Echometrix Inc