Nuvel Launches Android Version of vSOS Personal Emergency Response Service for Smartphones

CAMPBELL, Calif., Aug. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Nuvel announced today that it has released the Google Android™ version of vSOS™, its personal emergency response application for smartphones.  Designed with advanced, patent-pending technology, vSOS provides people of all ages with 24/7/365 response to any emergency—health, accident, assault—at home or on-the-go—with one touch on their smartphone. Available now, vSOS can be downloaded from the Android Market and the Nuvel website. The vSOS subscription fee of $12.99 per month includes both the application and the personal emergency response services.

People who can benefit from vSOS range from children with allergies, asthma or diabetes to college students who worry about their safety when on campus at night, people who hike or jog alone, and people who want help fast if they have a heart attack, stroke or accident.  

With Nuvel's partnership with GEOS Alliance, vSOS provides emergency response services in North America, South America and Europe, so even travelers who don't speak the local language can be confident knowing they have a team of dedicated people ready to respond to any emergency.

Nuvel's new vSOS for Android users leverages the success of the vSOS for the Apple® iPhone™, which was released in April.  By including HIPPA compliance and the ability to input personal medical information such as allergies, health conditions, medications, etc., both versions have set themselves apart from the competition. There is nothing extra to buy, nothing extra to carry, nothing technical to learn.  

"The emergency response features, mobility and simplicity that vSOS delivers make the market for this application virtually unlimited," said Randy Hagin, Nuvel Senior Vice President of Sales. "According to a recent IDC report, the market for smartphones is growing exponentially."

IDC estimates that vendors will ship a total of 472 million smartphones in 2011 compared to about 305 million units shipped in 2010, and that the Android, the leading operating system worldwide in Q4 2010, will grow to more than 40 percent of the market in the second half of 2011.

When an Android smartphone is enhanced with vSOS, users send a distress alert simply by pressing down on the red vSOS emergency alert icon for three seconds.  This triggers the vSOS HIPPA-compliant server to automatically send a distress alert to the GEOS IERCC.  Mission Coordinators at IERCC can then contact the user to verify the emergency.  

If a user does not answer the call from GEOS, certified emergency response professionals will contact the closest 9-1-1, or similar dispatch center when outside the US.  Leveraging GPS technology, vSOS provides the user's physical location to the responders to guide emergency personnel.  Access to the user's personalized health information and the user's name, mobile phone number and address is also included with the alert.  In addition, vSOS will send a text or email message to alert up to five contacts (physician, family, friends) listed in the user profile.

For added value, the GEOS Search and Rescue (SAR) feature is included at no additional cost.  With the SAR feature, if the official emergency services need to be supplemented to ensure the user's safety, the GEOS IERCC will authorize additional personnel and equipment (including private aircraft/helicopter charter, private search teams, etc.).  

Availability, Price

Google approved, Nuvel's vSOS personal emergency response software and service is $12.99/month.  vSOS for the Google® Android™ platform is available for download from the Android Market and the Nuvel website.  Apple® iPhone™ users can download vSOS at the iPhone App Store.  Downloads for other smartphone platforms will be available soon.  Volume licensing is available directly to OEM partners as well as corporate and institutional customers at a discount price based on volume.

About Nuvel, Inc.

Headquartered in Campbell, CA, Nuvel delivers software and hardware solutions that enhance productivity, provide exciting new capabilities, and improve the experience for all internet users including enterprises, individuals, and underserved communities. Nuvel dramatically increases the speed and performance of the Internet, significantly improving last-mile connectivity and the user experience for all computing and mobile devices.  For more information, visit www.nuvelinc.com.

vSOS is a trademark of Nuvel Inc.  All other trademarks and registered trademarks previously cited are the property of their respective owners and are hereby acknowledged.

SOURCE Nuvel, Inc.