FamilySignal, Rosenhaus Sports and Cleveland Browns wide receiver Brian Hartline introduce a smarter family locator for iPhone

App is first to use standalone 'beacon' devices for new kind of family location alert

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Sep 16, 2015, 10:09 ET

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- With a schedule like his, Cleveland Browns wide receiver Brian Hartline knows what it's like to be separated from his family members. While he's away, he does what we all do: He reaches for his phone, and a text message or phone call later, he doesn't feel quite so disconnected.

You’re busy, your kids are active and it’s hard to keep up. We created FamilySignal because we knew there was a better way to connect everyone. With FamilySignal, you'll see your entire family on a map. There's an easy way for kids to check in with their location, and with a feature called On My Way, they can see you coming to get them on the map with a real-time ETA. In case of an emergency, a real panic button instantly alerts you of their location!

FamilySignal, a new family locator for iOS devices, offers location alerts for any place the user chooses. The app is the only family locator to use "beacons" - small standalone devices that are more accurate than GPS. Since the devices can be placed anywhere, the app can alert a parent when a teenager is in his or her car.

FamilySignal is the first family locator to work with "beacons," small microlocation devices that provide greater location accuracy when paired with the app. With a beacon, for example, it's possible to be alerted when a teenage driver enters or exits a car.

But what about the times when a conversation isn't possible? For some families, time spent together is all too brief. Married parents spend only 13.7 and 7.2 hours per week with their children, according to a recent study in the Journal of Marriage and Family. In 2015, shouldn't there be a better way to know family members are safe and sound?

"Sometimes, a parent just wants to know that his son has arrived at baseball practice or a child is happy to see that dad just arrived in Cincinnati for his next game," Hartline said. "With FamilySignal, this is a reality. Being away from home feels a little less like being away from home."

FamilySignal, a new iPhone app for iOS devices created in collaboration with Hartline, is a smart, easy-to-use suite of powerful new location features that redefine what smartphones can do for families.

Standalone devices called "beacons" add a brand-new dimension to family location alerts. FamilySignal is the first family locator to use these small add-on devices, which give parents greater peace of mind about everyday activities. Want to know if your child made it to school? FamilySignal's standard GPS location alerts can tell you. But because beacons can be placed anywhere, FamilySignal can alert you every time your teenage daughter enters or leaves her car. And because they're more accurate than GPS, you'll know with certainty that a family member is at home and not a block away. The applications are endless.

FamilySignal's beacon partner is Estimote, a global leader in the market that supports more than 30,000 developers in Fortune 500s and startups alike.

"FamilySignal has one of the most exciting and compelling uses for the beacon platform that we have ever seen," said Mark Modzelewski, of Estimote. "The beacon ensures the safety and wellness of families as they live their lives in these busy, often chaotic and occasionally dangerous times."

Your family is always on the map. FamilySignal gives parents peace of mind by showing the location of family members on a map. If they choose, children can also see where their parents are, too.

With On My Way, children know their parent's real-time ETA. Children can see their parent's location move on the map as they travel, and an ETA shows when they'll arrive.

An easy way for kids to check in. Children can tap "Touch Base" to instantly send their location.

A real panic button for children and the elderly. For emergency situations, a Panic button blasts location data to family members on the network and provides an instant link to 911 emergency dispatchers if needed.

PARTNERSHIP WITH ROSENHAUS SPORTS

For family-centric National Football League players, a tool of this kind carries weight. Rosenhaus Sports, the authority in NFL representation, has partnered with FamilySignal to reach out to select athletes to promote the app through social media.

Interviews are available with FamilySignal President Peter J. Goodman and Cleveland Browns Wide Receiver Brian Hartline.

CONTACT
J.R. Williams, FamilySignal Director of Marketing Communications, [email protected], (205) 602-2229

ABOUT FAMILYSIGNAL
FamilySignal is a revolutionary, comprehensive family locator for iPhone that brings new context to the real-time locations of family members. FamilySignal is the first to use beacons — small add-on devices that provide hyperaccurate location data — for location alerts. That means users can tell when their teenager is in their car and a level of precision not possible with typical GPS-based alerts. FamilySignal also includes features like On My Way for a real-time ETA, Touch Base for location-based check-ins and a panic button for emergencies, giving a sense of security and peace of mind for parents. To learn more, visit www.familysignal.com.

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SOURCE FamilySignal