Every year over 300,000 children are abducted in Canada and the US. This statistic is both heartbreaking and frightening, especially if you're a parent. It's always nice to see developers of popular applications updating their apps for the better good of the world, and this is one of those occasions. Poynt announced yesterday that they have joined with the Missing Children Society of Canada (MCSC) to assist in the fight against child abduction.
A first-of-its-kind geo-targeted notification system through a mobile app, Poynt will assist in the timely location and recovery of missing or abducted children. When a child goes missing or new information on their whereabouts is received, time is of the utmost importance. By pushing geo-relevant Child Search Alerts to Poynt users already in the vicinity of a missing child, Poynt and MCSC will be able to quickly disseminate important information to aid in the recovery of missing children. The Child Search Alerts will direct Poynt users to a mobile website where they can view information about the missing child including pictures, a physical description, background details, information about other potential people who are with the child, as well as the areas where the child is thought to be located.
This is awesome news and a partnership that has potential to do a lot of real good in the world. Poynt can be found in BlackBerry App World. Full press release and further details about the new feature can be found after the break.
Source: Poynt
Press Release
Poynt and Missing Children Society of Canada Launch Child Search Alerts
September 1, 2011
Poynt Empowers Nearly 10 million Users Globally to Take a Stand in the Fight Against Child Abduction
CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwire - Sept. 1, 2011) - Poynt Corporation (TSX VENTURE:PYN) ("Poynt Corp." or the "Company") and the Missing Children Society of Canada (MCSC) today go live with their previously announced geo-targeted notification system to push Child Search Alerts to Poynt ("Poynt" or the "App") users globally. Child Search Alerts are available to Poynt users on BlackBerry smartphones, iPhone and Android devices, putting the ability to stop child abductions directly into the hands of people while they are going about their day.
Judy Peterson, mother of Lindsey Nicholls, advocates for technology that will help in the recovery of missing children. Lindsey vanished on August 2, 1993 on her way to visit friends in rural British Columbia, Canada. She has not been seen or heard from since. Unfortunately, her story is not uncommon as more than 50,000 children are reported missing in Canada every year.
"The concept of reaching out to all Poynt users in a specific region and being able to ask for their help is amazing. I can't help thinking that if this technology existed 18 years ago when my 14-year old daughter vanished, we would have had answers," said Ms. Peterson. "The contrast between the power of this technology and my desperate search using the telephone and trekking around town with my stack of homemade posters and roll of scotch tape is overwhelming. Parents will have the comfort of knowing they are not searching alone and that there are millions of people out there who care and will now have the ability to actively help find their child."
A first-of-its-kind geo-targeted notification system through a mobile app, Poynt will assist in the timely location and recovery of missing or abducted children. When a child goes missing or new information on their whereabouts is received, time is of the utmost importance. By pushing geo-relevant Child Search Alerts to Poynt users already in the vicinity of a missing child, Poynt and MCSC will be able to quickly disseminate important information to aid in the recovery of missing children. The Child Search Alerts will direct Poynt users to a mobile website where they can view information about the missing child including pictures, a physical description, background details, information about other potential people who are with the child, as well as the areas where the child is thought to be located.
The Missing Children Society of Canada, a registered Canadian charity, will enter information that will create a child search alert containing timely information on a missing child which will in turn be sent to Poynt users in a specified geographic area. Poynt users will then be notified via push notification that a child has been potentially sighted within a relevant radius of where they were last sighted. Users do not have to be using Poynt at the time to receive a notification; notifications will be made based on the Poynt users last known location. On iPhone, a pop-up dialogue will appear notifying the user that a missing child might be in their area. On Android and BlackBerry smartphones a notification icon will appear at the top of the phone. The system will have an opt-out option which can be found in the menu on each device.
"Being socially responsible and giving back to our community is an important part of how we feel we can make an impact. We value our families and locating missing children is a cause near and dear to us," said Andrew Osis, President and CEO of Poynt Corp. "The capabilities of our location technology to target an area at a critical moment where a child's life can be saved, is the perfect fit for us. The addition of Child Search Alerts enables our users to positively impact their communities in a simple yet highly effective manner, and that really has a greater societal impact."
"We know that this push system will bring children home," said Amanda Pick, Executive Director of MCSC. "Being able to immediately engage people in a pin-pointed area where we are conducting an investigation or where a missing child has recently been sighted is a game-changer in the search for missing children."
"Increasingly, our investigators are working parental abduction cases that cross international borders," continued Pick. "The ability to connect with Poynt's existing, engaged 10 million users around the world is a huge asset to our investigation team. Most importantly, it's a huge asset to our searching families."
"Whether a child has been missing for 5 minutes or 5 years, communicating time-sensitive information in a case's breakthrough moment is going to make the difference in bringing that child back to safety."
Founded in 1986, MCSC is the only non-profit organization in Canada that has an in-house team of former law enforcement investigators that actively search for missing children. If you have seen Lindsey Nicholls or know of her whereabouts, please call 1 (800) 661 6160 or email tips@mcsc.ca.
Poynt is a convenient and timesaving GPS-enabled mobile application that connects consumers to local businesses, events, restaurants, movie theatres, gas prices and weather information at the moment they are looking to buy or acquire products or services. Poynt provides consumers with the ability to move beyond discovery of their local area to view movie trailers and reviews, buy movie tickets, click-to-call businesses, get directions, browse listing websites, read reviews and book dining reservations.
Poynt is available as a free download for users in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Australia on BlackBerry® smartphones, BlackBerry Playbook™ tablet, iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, Android, Windows Phone 7 and Nokia devices from the respective App Stores. Poynt is also available via Over the Air download at http://m.poynt.com.
About Poynt Corporation
Poynt Corp. (about.poynt.com) is a global leader in the mobile local advertising space. Its Location Based Search (LBS) application, Poynt (www.poynt.com), enhances a user's ability to connect with the people, businesses and events most important to them. Poynt is available on iPhone and iPod Touch, Android, Nokia QT and Windows Phone 7 devices, BlackBerry® smartphones and BlackBerry PlayBook™ Tablets in Canada, the United States, Europe and Australia. Poynt Corp. entered the mobile publishing space with the recent acquisition of an advertising publishing platform in January 2011. Key contracts on both the supply and demand sides are in place to provide inventory into the platform and publishers to display the inventory. Whether through the Poynt Local Search App or the Ad Publishing Platform, Poynt Corp. simplifies connecting consumers with businesses, retailers and events. Headquartered in Calgary, AB, Canada, Poynt Corp. trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol PYN.
Important Cautions Regarding Forward-looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to: the ability of the Child Search Alerts to help locating missing children and other statements that are not historical facts. Such forward-looking statements are subject to important risks, uncertainties and assumptions. The results or events predicated in these forward-looking statements may differ materially from actual results or events. As a result, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.
These forward-looking statements are based on certain key assumptions regarding, among other things: the risk that Child Search Alerts will not help locate missing children; future technological developments; the cost of expanding product lines; the impact of increasing competition; the continuity of existing business relationships; the continued successful development, implementation and execution of the App; continued growth in number of active users of the App; conditions in general economic and financial markets; the ability to complete previously announced transactions; ability to obtain all necessary regulatory approvals; and our ability to obtain financing on acceptable terms. Material risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information include, but are not limited to: the deteriorating economic and market conditions that could lead to reduced spending on information technology products; competition in our target markets; potential capital needs; management of future growth and expansion; the development, implementation and execution of the Company's strategic vision; risk of third-party claims of infringement; protection of proprietary information; customer acceptance of the Company's existing and newly introduced products; the success of the Company's brand development efforts; risks associated with strategic alliances; failure of counterparties to perform on contracts; failure to successfully negotiate contracts; failure to successfully negotiate additional preload agreements; risk that the App may not be included in Q4 media buy budgets; reliance on distribution channels; product concentration; need to develop new and enhanced products; failure to obtain necessary regulatory approvals; potential product defects; our ability to hire and retain qualified employees and key management personnel; risks associated with changes in domestic and international market conditions and the entry into and development of new markets for the Company's products; and the risks described under "risk factors" in our Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2010 which is available on our SEDAR profile (www.sedar.com).
The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additionally, the Company undertakes no obligation to comment on expectations of, or statements made by, third parties in respect of the forward-looking statements identified above.
The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited. Apple App Store and iPhone are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries. Android is a registered trademark of Google Inc. Nokia is a registered trademark of Nokia Corporation.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Poynt Corporation
Andrew Osis
President & CEO
403-313-3719
www.poynt.com
or
FortyThree PR, Inc.
Evie Carter
Public Relations Contact
831-401-3175
poynt@43pr.com
or
MCSC
Becky Scheer
Media Relations
403-852-5773
