HOUSTON, March 10, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Sharp Holding Corporation (OTCBB:SHAR) today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, SCAN USA Corporation, in connection with SBC Communications (NYSE:SBC) have expanded the availability of the SCAN neighborhood alert program into Nevada.
Nevada residents have a new source for emergency bulletins and neighborhood alerts - delivered directly to their computers, wireless phones, PDAs and personal pagers. With this innovative service, local police departments and emergency organizations in Nevada can deliver security and crime alerts directly to their constituents with information that applies specifically to their local areas.
As a public-private partnership, the SCAN service is provided free of charge to all Nevada public safety agencies and to all Nevada residents. The service was originally launched by SCAN USA Corporation and SBC in California earlier this year.
"SCAN is a great resource for those customers who want up-to-the-minute information on important events and news in their communities regardless of whether they're at home, work or on the road," said Scott Helbing, senior vice president, SBC Consumer Marketing.
Working as a neighborhood-based public warning system, SCAN allows subscribers to choose the types of alerts they wish to receive. Subscribers have several alert options to choose from, including neighborhood crime, weather, natural disasters, cyber-attacks, fire advisories, health emergencies, Amber Alerts and neighborhood public safety information.
"Now millions of consumers throughout Nevada can have instant access to crime and safety alerts delivered directly to their personal communication devices, such as cell phones, PDA's and computers," said Lou Schwartz, of SCAN USA.
"SCAN is a free service that is designed to provide a communication link between public safety officials and the people they protect. We all have to live with the reality of decreasing services due to reduced state and federal budgets, the SCAN service helps fill a void," Mr. Schwartz added.
As a public-private partnership, SCAN allows local police, fire and other public safety officials to provide a higher level of protection to the community without the additional costs associated with installing new programs and hiring additional personnel.
"Law enforcement has long desired a method of communicating quickly and directly with their neighborhood residents," said Monty Holden, vice president, National Coalition of Public Safety Officers. "We believe the SCAN program can play a major role in helping law enforcement protect local communities in the future."
Nevada residents can sign up for the service by visiting www.scanusa.com.
The SCAN service is made possible through an agreement with SBC Services, Inc., a subsidiary of SBC Communications.
Sharp Holding Corporation invests in and manages start-up companies and new technologies poised to capture significant market share. These technologies are typically very timely in terms of the needs of the marketplace - and can therefore potentially generate substantial revenues in a short period of time.
Sharp Holding Corporation's expertise in Internet-based security software development plus its corporate sponsor distribution programs are key elements in their various holdings as evidenced by SCAN USA. Sharp Holding Corporation has additional technologies under development.
About SBC Communications: SBC Communications Inc. (NYSE:SBC) is a Fortune 50 company whose subsidiaries, operating under the SBC brand, provide a full range of voice, data, networking, e-business, directory publishing and advertising, and related services to businesses, consumers and other telecommunications providers. SBC holds a 60 percent ownership interest in Cingular Wireless, which serves more than 46 million wireless customers. SBC companies provide high-speed DSL Internet access lines to more American consumers than any other provider and are among the nation's leading providers of Internet services. SBC companies also now offer satellite TV service. Additional information about SBC and SBC products and services is available at www.sbc.com.
In conjunction with the provisions of the "Safe Harbor" section to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, this release may contain forward-looking statements pertaining to future anticipated projection plans, performance and developments, as well as other statements relating to future operations. All such forward-looking statements are necessarily only estimates of future results and there can be no assurance that actual results will not materially differ from expectations. Further information is included in the Company's Form 10K, which is filed with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission.