10 August 2010

100 iNO Mobile SOS F12 phones powered by StarHub GREEN pre-paid SIM cards will be donated to the elderly at a National Day dinner organised by Kreta Ayer Seniors Activity Centre

Tuesday, 10 August 2010, Singapore – Foresight Technologies, StarHub Mobile and leading navigation-and location-based services company AGIS are joining hands to unveil Singapore’s first elderly friendly mobile phone built with innovative location-determining GprX® solution.

The introduction of iNO Mobile SOS F12 is an immediate response to the increasing need for Singapore’s elderly population to be better cared for and fully assisted in times of emergency. Where connectivity is key as consumers become increasingly mobile and busier, the safety of loved ones, especially elderly family members, is paramount.

Internationally recognised as Singapore’s newest mobile phone manufacturer and system integrator that caters to the silver hair community, Foresight Technologies' complete range of elderly friendly iNO Mobile SOS phones with their key practical functions and low cost of acquisition, are specially created for the elderly and the children of the elderly.

Commenting on the launch of iNO Mobile SOS F12, Mr Kenneth Lau, Managing Director, Foresight Technologies Pte Ltd, said: “iNO Mobile SOS phones will not only improve the lives of the silver hair group, they will set a new standard in the way we think, care and connect with our elderly parents or grandparents."

‘Innovation through the Heart’, the brand’s mission statement frames Kenneth’s vision for a Singapore brand to be innovative, functional and socially responsible all at the same time. Marked with an OLED display panel and a large keypad and buttons, the new iNO Mobile Multimedia SOS F12 comes with a 2-megapixel camera, Micro SD, dual SIM slot, FM Radio and MP3 and the emergency SOS heart button located on the back of the phone.

“Space or location as others call it, is the universal glue that connects all businesses and social activities together. Nothing happens outside space. Space and time forms a symbiolic relationship that shapes our lifestyles in both succinct and nebulous ways. With connected devices, the world is waking up to a new era of space management. Welcome to the world of “Location-Based Services!” said Associate Professor Goh Pong Chai, Chief Scientist, AGIS Pte Ltd.

“StarHub recognises the needs of seniors, in particular, their social need to be connected to their loved ones. Designed with ease-of-use and practical features in mind, the elderly friendly iNO Mobile SOS F12 handset will help enhance the acceptance of mobile technology amongst seniors, and we are pleased to partner Foresight Technologies and AGIS to offer the handset exclusively in Singapore,” said Mr Ng Long Shyang, Head, Sales and Marketing, StarHub. “iNO Mobile SOS F12 allows us to offer seniors a total mobile communications experience with our customer-friendly mobile price plans and round-the-clock customer care. With this mobile offering, we are pleased to be able to align our corporate social responsibility objectives with our business model.”

iNO MOBILE SOS PHONES

The iNO Mobile SOS phone is equipped with elderly friendly features such as larger display screen and keypad, as well as an emergency SOS heart button, which is the key highlight.

This special emergency function allows an elderly person to press the SOS button located on the back of the phone, which will release a loud siren and alert the people nearby for help. At the same time, it will activate an emergency call and text message to five designated mobile numbers in its pre-programmed list. These designated recipients will receive information denoting the location of the iNO phone owner.

DEDICATED CONCIERGE ONE-STOP SERVICE IN NEAR FUTURE

Come 2011, a fully dedicated concierge service that is paralleled to the Senior Citizen Home Safety Association (SCHSA) in Hong Kong will also be introduced by Foresight Technologies in Singapore.

Already a successful programme helmed by the SCHSA, the initiative catering to the elderly here will include similar services including Mobile Link and EasyHome that are both set up in response to meet rising demands pertaining to outdoor support for door-to-door household services. An Elder Ring Hotline, a Personal Emergency Link Volunteer Network and a Tele-health Link amongst other exciting social service support systems for overall life improvement and enrichment are planned to be integrated within this one-stop elderly friendly service.   

AVAILABILITY

The new iNO Mobile SOS F12 phone is priced at $138 bundled with a free StarHub GREEN pre-paid SIM card worth $15. For customers who sign up to a one-year PowerValue mobile plan (except PowerValue 80), the phone costs $0. iNO Mobile SOS F12 will be exclusively available at all StarHub Shops and selected Exclusive Partners' outlets islandwide from 14 August 2010.
 
To celebrate the launch of the iNO Mobile SOS F12 multimedia phone, 100 sets packaged with StarHub GREEN pre-paid will be donated to the elderly at a National Day dinner organised by the Kreta Ayer Seniors Activity Centre (KASAC) on 11 August 2010. The phones and pre-paid SIM cards are sponsored by Foresight Technologies and StarHub respectively. The Guest of Honour, Dr Lily Neo, MP, Jalan Besar GRC will present the donation to the organising committee of the KASAC.

Editor's Notes

SOME STATISTICS ON MOBILITY AND FINDINGS OF NEEDS OF SENIOR CITIZENS

According to the National Survey of Senior Citizens in Singapore (2005) by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports:

- 56.9% of senior citizens had no formal educational qualifications, and were defined as either having no education at all or not completing primary education.

- 92.2% of senior citizens above 55 years were fully ambulant and physically independent. However, the proportion of senior citizens who were fully ambulant and physically independent decreased with age.

- Female senior citizens were generally less ambulant than male senior citizens in all age groups.
 
- Family was a very important source of help for senior citizens in times of need. - Among senior citizens aged 55 and above, 92.1% depended on their family for help when they were ill, 87.5% turned to family for financial help, and 91.4% spoke to family when they had a need to speak to someone.
 
- About one-third (36.2%) of senior citizens also turned to friends when they needed someone to speak to.
 
- 1 in 10 (10.1%) senior citizens felt that they had no one to turn to for financial assistance. Reliance on children as the most important source of income increased with age of senior citizens, from 31.9% among those aged 55 to 64 to 55.8% for those aged 65 to 74 and 63.7% for those aged 75 years and above.