Mobile Technology Innovation Protects Elderly People Living in Own Homes

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - Dec 4, 2014) - Elderly people living in their own homes have access to an innovative new system to improve their safety and independence, with a stylish safety watch for personal emergency response and a smart home device that uses passive activity sensors installed on everyday household objects to provide insight of certain activities of daily living -- from preparing dinner to taking their medication.

Vodafone, the global leader in Machine-to-Machine (M2M) technology, is working with Lively, a provider of smart home and personal emergency response technology, to support its new wearable device that connects to an in-home hub that is pre-installed with a Vodafone M2M SIM. It also synchs with activity sensors designed to be placed on pill boxes, refrigerators and doors. The activity sensors log a person's daily routines to indicate a range of activities that can be viewed by themselves or by their loved ones, such as when medication is taken and when the user leaves the house.

A hub receives activity signals from each of the sensors to compare daily events with normal routines, and provides alerts when activity is out of routine. With the Vodafone M2M technology in the hub, users are able to access information without connecting to the internet, making it simple for people without a broadband connection to set up.

The technology, designed to increase the safety and security of elderly people and to give their loved ones peace of mind, comes as an increasing number of older people are staying in their homes.

The system ensures that the secure Vodafone M2M SIM transfers the agreed customer data, gathered through the sensors, through a secure virtual private network. Only authorised people, such as designated family members and caregivers, will have access to the data from the sensors.

Vodafone's global network means that Lively users are able to travel around the world while staying connected, even outside of the countries where the Lively solution is sold. The different services are available in the US and Australia, and there are plans for expansion to the UK and other countries.

Vodafone's M2M technology also supports Lively's new safety 'smart' watch, which provides independence and peace of mind for the elderly and their family members, with 24/7 help that's just a push-button away. The watch also provides medication reminders, a pedometer for step counting and more.

Lively's Chief Executive Officer Iggy Fanlo said, "People want to stay living in the communities they know and love. What Lively does allows that to happen. We help to make people more confident in their independence and more connected to their families in a positive and supportive way. Vodafone listened to what we needed and created a service which is thoroughly comprehensive."

Vodafone Group's Head of Machine-to-Machine for the Americas Andrew Morawski said, "This is a great example of how Vodafone's M2M technology is being used to improve people's lives. With the cost of residential care rising, Lively offers a safe way of keeping extended families confidently connected while living independent lives. The global nature of our SIM means that users can travel and stay connected to their loved ones."

About Vodafone Machine-to-Machine (M2M)

Vodafone Machine-to-Machine (M2M) connects previously isolated machines or devices to the internet, delivering new functionality and enhanced services without the need for human intervention. Supported by more than 1,300 dedicated employees, Vodafone's global M2M platform makes it easy for global businesses to manage centrally M2M deployments across multiple territories, with greater control and at a lower cost than previously possible. In 2014 Vodafone was named global M2M leader by Machina Research, for the third year in a row. For more information, please visit: https://m2m.vodafone.com/home/

About Vodafone
Vodafone is one of the world's largest telecommunications companies and provides a range of services including voice, messaging, data and fixed communications. Vodafone has mobile operations in 26 countries, partners with mobile networks in 55 more, and fixed broadband operations in 17 markets. As of 30 September 2014, Vodafone had 438 million mobile customers and 11 million fixed broadband customers. For more information, please visit: www.vodafone.com.

About Lively
Lively was founded by Iggy Fanlo, David Glickman, and Keith Dutton in the summer of 2012 and is headquartered in San Francisco. With collective backgrounds that include working at some of the world's most innovative consumer product companies, they've formed a vibrant team of talented individuals who share a passion for changing the way older adults stay connected across generations.