Reliance Communications Acquires AnComm, Adds Anonymous Bullying-Prevention Service to its Suite of SchoolMessenger Software Solutions

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. and OXFORD, Miss., Jan. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Reliance Communications, the parent company of SchoolMessenger, today announced the acquisition of AnComm, creator of Talk About It®, the first and only anonymous communication service that allows students to 'speak up' by engaging in text message or email dialogue with trusted school staff members. The acquisition expands the suite of communications solutions SchoolMessenger now offers and enables the Talk About It service, currently in use by more than 300,000 students, to more quickly reach a national audience. AnComm CEO and frequent speaker on the subject of bullying, Carter B. Myers, joined SchoolMessenger as vice president of Anonymous Communication Solutions.

"As on-campus safety concerns and incidents have escalated over the last decade, thousands of schools and districts nationwide have turned to SchoolMessenger to provide messaging and notification solutions that allow them to connect and communicate directly with millions of parents, students and staff every day," said Sanford Kenyon, president and chief executive officer of Reliance Communications. "Talk About It is a natural extension of our suite of on-demand solutions that can provide customers with an affordable, one-of-a-kind communications tool that allows students to break the 'code of silence' and seek immediate help from trusted school staff members before tragedy strikes. We believe that just as emergency notification solutions have become a 'must have' in K-12, anonymous communication tools will quickly be adopted to address the myriad of on-campus challenges raised by bullying, stress, family problems, academic pressures and more."

Launched in 2005, Talk About It was designed around a simple concept: Kids are the best resource for knowing what's going on inside their school. If a problem or threat should arise, students simply send an anonymous text or email message using their mobile phone or any Internet-connected device. The message is relayed to the trusted school staff member of their choice. The service reduces the stigma of being seen communicating with a trusted adult and allows students to reach out to a counselor or faculty member without fear of retribution or embarrassment.

"To address threats such as bullying, communication is a vital component of any school safety plan," said Mr. Myers. "Talk About It is a preventative service that allows students to speak up using their tools of choice, text or online communication, and begin a confidential dialogue that can lead to immediate and actionable results – results that are measurably better than with traditional methods which lack two-way interaction or don't provide for targeting specific staff members. We are very excited to align our service with SchoolMessenger, a company that has demonstrated excellence in the education market for more than a decade, and look forward to working with educators across the country to help foster a safer, more comfortable learning environment."

Talk About It is now available as an on-demand solution to all schools and districts, regardless of the notification service they employ. For more information and a video overview, visit http://talk.schoolmessenger.com.

About SchoolMessenger
SchoolMessenger is a leading provider of notification solutions for education. Thousands of school districts, public schools, colleges, universities, private schools and other educational facilities in all 50 states depend on the company's innovative solutions to connect and effectively communicate with millions of parents, students and staff every day. Founded in 1999, the company is headquartered in Santa Cruz, California. For information, visit http://www.schoolmessenger.com or call 888.527.5225.

Media Contact:
Carleen LeVasseur
SchoolMessenger Public Relation
408-264-6767
[email protected]

SOURCE SchoolMessenger