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1. THE BEGINNING
This innovation came to life when…
My great aunt slipped in the shower, fracturing her hip. She took three hours to crawl to a telephone, and nearly died in her apartment. Her rehabilitation was hampered by her son’s concern: “You’re frail, you live such a long way away, stay in the house until you’re well.” Whilst her doctor said, “If you don’t stay active, you’ll never get through rehab.” Available panic alarm systems were inadequate for her recovery and lifestyle. ollo was created to meet the needs of our family, and it turned out that many others in the community needed a similar solution.
2. WHAT & HOW
The purpose of this innovation is to…
Make it easy for seniors and children to be more connected to their families wherever they are, and whatever they’re doing. We encourage active and independent living whilst providing a smart, reliable link to the carer in times of need.
It does this by…
Using the latest 3G technology to create a matchbox-sized, waterproof, wearable mobile phone with a single button. It creates a constant link to our smart cloud platform. One press, and the wearer can talk to multiple family members simultaneously, share their location (even indoors) and medical information. Carers set safe paths to monitor regular routes, fall detection and more.
3. PURPOSE & BENEFITS
This innovation improves on what came before because…
We’re about to disrupt the way monitored telehealth and personal security services are delivered. Our proprietary system puts the family in control of the whole process, not a call centre. Its 10 times faster, structurally cheaper, more flexible, improves privacy, overcomes language barriers, and delivers a higher level of care and assurance. We’re more accessible and more useful to more people.
The benefits to the customer/end-user include…
- Calling multiple numbers simultaneously, and using smart rules like time of day, location, and events (fall/motion), to determine who should be contacted.
- Secure sharing of medical/contact information, real-time indoor/outdoor location, and who was called/answered.
- Discretely monitored fall detection.
- Safe paths/zones.
4. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
In the past, this problem was solved by…
Call centre operators being available 24/7 to answer calls and coordinate the family response by following predefined business rules. This is slow, labour-intensive, and assumes a common language. It makes the wearer reluctant to use the service, they lose control, and nobody wants to talk to a stranger when they’re distressed.
Alternative is unmonitored, but what if no one answers?
Its predecessors/competitors include…
In Australia, there are no monitored mobile providers. The leaders in fixed-line monitored telehealth are Tunstall, St Johns Lifelink.
Verizon (US only) ‘SureResponse’ is a similar mobile service (relies on a call centre). Greatcall.com (US only) also similar.
5. TARGET MARKET
This innovation is made for…
Children under 12, Seniors (65+), chronic health suffers, and women in ‘at-risk’ occupations or environments.
We’re launching in Australia in December, and can impact around 1/3 of households (6m people).
By 2020, there will be one billion seniors, mostly in Asia.
We provide a monitored service in very large markets our competitors cannot afford to operate in. We’ll be targeting middle-class women and children in India, Philippines, and Indonesia. These regions buy around 500m mobile phones a year, and aren’t serviced by the leaders in our market.
In Japan, South Korea, and China, we’re targeting seniors. Also exploring US/UK.
6. DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY
It is available for sale through…
Our primary channel is as a white label through MVNOs (e.g. Virgin mobile) and Carriers. You’ll buy it as a service with your next iPhone from their shop or website. In talks with SingTel, iiNET, and several national carer organisations.
Our marketing strategy is to…
We’re positioning as a solution for the primary carer. If you’re a busy mum, and want to make sure your parents or your children are safe anywhere and everywhere they go, we offer a powerful, reliable solution. It’s hassle-free insurance for your family, and managed conveniently from your smartphone.
White label distribution deals are negotiated directly with the carrier.
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FINE PRINT
This SMART 100 profile and the information it contains is a duplication of content submitted by the applicant during the entry process. As a function of entry, applicants were required to declare that all details are factually correct, do not infringe on another’s intellectual property and are not unlawful, threatening, defamatory, invasive of privacy, obscene, or otherwise objectionable. Some profiles have been edited for reasons of space and clarity.
