Blackberry Mobility Featured Article

Illume Software, a creator of location-based mobile safety solutions, has joined forces with Alert Notification, a maker of personalized emergency notification and health records services, to widen the product category by developing an enhanced version of Illume’s flagship mobile safety solution.

The partnership builds upon Illume’s distracted driving application iZUP. Also, it includes Alert’s personalized emergency notification services that will be offered later this year.

The new version of iZUP, in addition to effectively eliminating cell phone related distractions for drivers, will also include Alert’s potentially lifesaving personalized emergency notification service. This service informs ER clinicians of medical histories and unites family members and loved ones in an emergency.

“In an emergency, notification of family and friends averages 6+ hours and the injured person’s medical records often never reach emergency personnel,” said Robert Smith, CEO and founder of Alert Notification. “By combining the unique features of Alert’s MediCall and MediLife with the efforts of emergency medical providers, we deliver vital medical information when it’s needed most and reduce the notification time of family and friends down to approximately 10 minutes. As the only mobile application that effectively eliminates most cell phone related distractions, iZUP provides great peace of mind to drivers and their families or employers. The combinative effect of offering Illume and Alert Notification will not only create a powerful service but will raise the bar for mobile safety solutions.”

The real-time notification to parents or account holders of a 911 event is currently provided by iZUP. Further, it also prevents distractions caused by incoming calls, emails, voice-enabled tweets, text messages and emails, and other unnecessary interruptions.

The partnership also provides subscribers of the premium edition with fully trained 24/7/365 emergency operators. These operators can connect family members in the event of an emergency and provide medical response teams with vital information.

“Through our partnership with Alert, we will deliver an enhanced mobile safety solution that greatly extends the possibilities for improving driver safety and medical response services,” Mark J. Thirman, vice president of Illume Software, developers of iZUP, said. “As families seek extra security and protection for their family members, Illume remains dedicated to delivering the next generation of mobile safety applications.”

iZUP is easy to download and automatically launches when it detects that a phone is in a vehicle traveling over a configurable trigger speed -- typically 5 mph. The incoming calls, while driving, are sent to voice mail and text messages are held until the vehicle stops and a driver can read and respond to them safely.

The outgoing communication while driving is prevented by iZUP. However, it allows emergency calls to 911 and three authorized numbers, such as a parent’s cell phone in addition to a “white listed” application such as a navigation app.  In the second half of 2010, the Alert-enhanced version of iZUP will be available.

A comprehensive, responsible driver safety solution is offered by iZUP, for parents of teen drivers, businesses, and anyone else on the roadways. iZUP is available now on a variety of Blackberry, Windows Mobile, and Android (News - Alert) handsets.

In related news, Illume Software appointed Daniel Ross as president and CEO. He has more than 20 years of experience as an operational executive building and leading some of the most successful software and services start-ups in New England.