For Immediate Release

PanicGuardis an app that works as a gateway to a security service that protects people in dangerous and life-threatening situations. It is the world’s first app that has been awarded Police Preferred Specification (PPS) by ACPO’s Secured by Design initiative and is keeping people safe on the streets of London.

PanicGuard works day or night, in any location where someone might be in danger or is being attacked, mugged or raped whether out on the streets, on the bus, in an empty building or even at home.

More than just an app, PanicGuard is a service that is activated by simply shaking or tapping the phone, turning it into a real-time GPS tracker, alarm and video recording device which once activated sends instantaneous alerts to emergency contacts who will be able to see what is happening and call emergency services or the police. While protecting it is also gathering evidence to help the police identify, track down and punish the perpetrators.

For example a woman walking home alone after a night out, senses she is being followed, she has already activated her PanicGuard and the phone pulses reassuringly, telling her that it is tracking her location. Then the worst happens and she is attacked. Shaking or tapping her phone, PanicGuard instantly and without her attacker knowing, sends alerts to her chosen emergency contacts via SMS, email, Facebook and Twitter who can see where she is and what is happening to her, they can contact the police and get help to her fast. If she shakes the phone again it will emit an ear-piercing alarm and strobe lighting which acts as a deterrent.

PanicGuardis accredited bySecured by Design, a flagship UK police initiative to help ‘design out’ crime through the use of high-quality innovative products and processes

In order to achieve Secured by Design status, PanicGuard had to adhere to the organisation’s test standards  

Richard Childs Managing Director of Secured by Design, says: “PanicGuard provides a proactive approach to personal security. We support effective products such as this which help the vulnerable and those at risk. PanicGuard can be used by a wide range of people utilising modern technology and so turning the mobile phone into a personal safety device”.

Detective Chief Inspector, Martin Ford, Head of the National Mobile Crime Unit says:

"The MPS is supportive of all responsible efforts to improve the personal safety of individuals within our communities. Integrated, well thought out solutions such 'PanicGuard' have the potential to contribute to the security of vulnerable persons by using new technologies to their best capacity".

Having PanicGuard activated can be empowering and gives a sense of confidence, and all research shows that a confident person is less likely to be attacked, wherever they are, whatever time of day or night.

Women’s and Men’s Domestic Violence Charities have also embraced PanicGuard. Chris Green of The White Ribbon Campaign UK, an organisation of men working to end violence against women says:

“One in five will suffer stalking or violence in their lifetime, and one in four will suffer domestic abuse in their lifetime. The White Ribbon campaign welcomes the introduction of PanicGuard that increases the safety of women and increases the likelihood of successful prosecution of perpetrators”.

Mikkel Dissing, an internet entrepreneur invented PanicGuard as a solution to the ever increasing problem of people’s fears about feeling safe. He spent two years perfecting the product, making sure it works in the most stressful and terrifying of situations.: “Everyone has a right to feel safe on the streets and in their own homes, but sadly that is not always the case.

It is illegal to carry anything for self-defence but having the PanicGuard app can give people confidence because they know that it is easy to send out an alert if they are in danger and gives them security at their fingertips.

Mikkel Dissing goes further to say “Our goal is to empower our users to feel more confident knowing that without doing anything more than shaking their phone they can instantly alert friends and family who can call the police to come to their aid and they will have the evidence to help them catch the criminal.”

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www.panicguard.com

For further information please contact: Caroline Ratner, Caroline Ratner Communications 020 8209 0120 or caroline@carolinecomms.com

Notes to editors

About PanicGuard

PanicGuardis a free to download and test, the ongoing security service costs from only £3.99 a month.

A short video of demonstration PanicGuard: http://panicguard.com/example

Subscription benefits

Subscribers can:

• send SMS, emails, Twitter and Facebook alerts to emergency contacts who can then call the police

• have a record of activity which can be used to track the user while in danger and can also be used as evidence to track perpetrators

• help the police with their investigations

PanicGuard works in three stages. Firstly when turned on it works quietly in the background, and it can if users chooses emit a reassuring “pulse” to the user so they do not need to keep looking at their phone. The phone automatically track the users location in real-time.

Then, if the user is attacked or feel threatened they can activate the service by either shaking the phone or sliding the start button. The app then instantly sends an alert to chosen emergency contacts, via SMS, Email, Facebook and Twitter contacts. The emergency contacts can then see and hear what is happening and can track the user live and call the emergency services if they think the user is in danger. When calling the emergency services they can and give very detailed information about location and possibly also describe the attacker from the video.

If the phone is shaken again a loud rape alarm goes off, and the flash on the phone becomes a strobe light attracting maximum attention and working as a deterrent. Should the attacker either kidnap the user or steal the phone he/she is still tracked covertly. Even if the SIM card is changed PanicGuard can still track the phone making it easier to find the attacker post the event. The only way PanicGuard can be deactivated is by entering the users date of birth as a pin code.

About Mikkel Dissing

Mikkel Dissing is an entrepreneur who has successfully founded and sold a number of online businesses. He founded and developed the worlds’ first and most successful LIVE P2P technology company, RawFlow Ltd with over 76 million users worldwide. RawFlow was the first company to market and develop a User Generated Broadcast (UGB®) tool and among other things managed the world’s largest online live event in 2008 called PangeaDay which was supported by artist such as Madonna, Sting and 50 Cent.

About Secured by Design

Secured by Design is part of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO)

The principles of Secured by Design have been proven to reduce the risk of crime and the fear of crime

For more information visitwww.securedbydesign.com