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Desire2Learn selects Guardly to Provide Safety Module for Campus Life(TM), Servicing Higher Education, K-12 Schools and Corporate SectorsTORONTO, Nov 26, 2012 (PRWeb.com via COMTEX) -- A pioneer of mobile services for public safety, Guardly today announces a partnership to provide its Safe Campus(TM) solution as the safety module in Desire2Learn's Campus Life(TM) mobile suite. Desire2Learn is a leader in providing innovative learning solutions for higher education, K-12, healthcare, government and corporate sectors. Campus Life(TM) is a mobile product that enables students to more easily access and interact with resources in their post-secondary communities. This partnership helps Desire2Learn further differentiate its Campus Life(TM) solution by adding a mobile layer of public safety infrastructure that enables students, faculty and staff to communicate with campus security at their fingertips. "Desire2Learn has established a strong Partner Network that we're working with to enable success in teaching and learning," said Jeff McDowell, Vice President of Market Development at Desire2Learn. "Guardly is an important addition to our Network and Campus Life as it helps learners and instructors stay safe while on campus." Abigail Boyers, Assistant Director of Communications for the Clery Center for Security on Campus, encourages prospective students to look at annual security reports and assess whether the campus takes a holistic approach to its safety network. Mobile safety infrastructure that can accurately detect a caller's location and provide two-way emergency communication for campus security is crucial given that most students contact campus security using mobile devices. The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) estimates that 70% of 911 calls today are from wireless phones and that number is growing. On university and college campuses, many Departments of Public Safety report much higher rates of emergency calls originating from mobile phones, which unfortunately lack location data. These numbers make sense considering more than 96% of post-secondary students own mobile phones today; in fact, 69% own smartphones, and that number is projected to reach 90% by 2014. There is a strong need to augment existing fixed-location emergency communication infrastructure with its mobile equivalent to extend its key benefits - instant communication and location - for smartphone users contacting campus security in case of emergency. In addition to real-time GPS location data, Safe Campus(TM) goes further to improve safety on campus. The solution provides more information to security dispatchers about who is calling (caller identification and profile information), the nature of the emergency, whether it is part of a larger trend (an interactive list of previous incidents), which other emergency contacts were notified, and enables communication by phone or two-way secure instant messaging for people who may need to communicate discretely. This situational intelligence helps dispatchers make faster, more intelligent decisions and save critical time when responding to emergencies. "Desire2Learn is the most forward-thinking learning management system provider on the market," said Josh Sookman, Guardly CEO. "The Campus Life(TM) mobile suite is a prime example of the company's ability to understand and deliver on today's student communication and lifestyle preferences, and is a natural fit with Guardly Safe Campus(TM)." About Guardly Guardly (https://www.guardly.com) provides mobile and cloud infrastructure for public safety. Focused on improving campus safety, Guardly Safe Campus(TM) is a real-time platform for emergency incident origination, management, communication and response. Guardly mobile apps available on Android, iPhone, BlackBerry and Windows Phone act as personal blue light phones that provide instant two-way communication with authorities and safety groups. Guardly Command(TM) helps law enforcement teams and administrators make faster and more informed decisions during the development of emergency incidents. Safe Campus(TM) technology has reduced incident response time by 44% in a 2012 customer study in higher education. Guardly is based in Toronto and has secured investments from Golden Venture Partners, Extreme Venture Partners and angel investors. Campus Life(TM) is a trademark used herein with expressed consent by Desire2Learn Incorporated. (i) USA Today College. "Campus safety often a factor when choosing a school". Accessed online at: http://www.usatodayeducate.com/staging/index.php/toolbox/campus-safety-often-a-factor-when-choosing-a-school (ii) United States Federal Communications Commission. "Wireless 911 Services". Accessed online at: http://www.fcc.gov/guides/wireless-911-services (iii) Pew Internet & American Life Project. "College students and technology." Accessed online at: http://pewinternet.org/reports/2011/college-students-and-technology/report.aspx (iv) Ball State University Press Release. "Smartphone use by collegians dramatically increases as mobile Internet use soars". Feb. 22, 2012. Accessed online at: http://www.bsu.edu/news/article/0,1370,-1019-65590,00.html Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/201211/guardly-desire2learn/prweb10168916.htm PRWeb.com |