Podsystem Donates SIMs to Royal National Lifeboat Institution as Part of “SIMs for Charities” Initiative
Newly Launched Initiative Aims to Help Charities Make the Most of Mobile Technology
London, UK – 26 September 2012; Podsystem, the expert in multi-network data SIM cards for the Machine to Machine (M2M) industry, has today announced the launch of its “SIMs for Charities” initiative, aimed at helping charities to take advantage of the latest technology to make their work more efficient and cost effective. As part of this initiative it is donating MultiNet Europe SIM cards to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).
The initiative has been set up to make multi-network data SIM cards, (which, being specialized SIMs, are not available directly from the mobile operators, and therefore have a cost associated per SIM) available to charities free of charge and use Podsystem’s superior buying power to negotiate the lowest data rates available with the networks and offer them at cost price to the charities, saving them thousands of pounds on their data charges. The donation to the RNLI will be used in emergency situations, for which the multi-network functionality of the SIMs will be especially important.
The RNLI will be incorporating the SIMs into a new type of pager they are trialing to alert the charity’s volunteer lifeboat crews when there is an emergency at sea. These work via a VHF radio signal when they are in range of the transmitter, however the SIMs will provide a secondary route to the system via GPRS when the pagers are out of radio range. In addition, the SIMs will enable a reporting mechanism via the GPRS network, whereby the crew member can respond to the message at the push of a button, which will then send a confirmation back to the lifeboat station that the alert has been received.
Podsystem’s MultiNet Europe SIMs connect to every network in every European country, including the five UK networks (operator agreements permitting), with no roaming fees, so they are perfect for applications that are in constant movement or may be occasionally located in rural areas, such as those used by the RNLI. In addition, if the SIM is in an area with no signal on one network, it will automatically switch to the next available network, ensuring that even in remote areas the maximum possible coverage is available.
Alex Marshall, RNLI Operations Manager, commented; “In any emergency at sea, time is of the essence. It is therefore paramount that we have the latest technology available to allow us to quickly contact our volunteer crew members to let them know they need to launch the lifeboats to carry out a rescue. Through this initiative, we will be able to ensure cost effective and reliable communication with our volunteers, so that they can reach the scene as soon as possible and ultimately save lives. Using these SIM cards will also allow us to save money which would otherwise be spent on telecoms costs and free up donations for other important life-saving equipment.”
Commenting on the initiative, Charles Towers-Clark, CEO of Podsystem, remarked; “For many charities, mobile communication is vital for the efficient running of the organisation and the safety and well-being of staff out in the field. As well as donating the SIM cards for the mobile devices used by charities, as a company with 12 years of experience in the M2M sector, we realised that we can also use our buying power with the networks to achieve hugely discounted data rates and offer these at cost, enabling charities to greatly reduce their monthly costs in telecom services that would have otherwise been covered by donations. We are extremely pleased to make this donation to the RNLI and we invite other charities in all sectors to contact us if they would like to find out more.”
“SIMs for Charities” is part of a wider drive by Podsystem to create synergies between companies and charities, encouraging organizations from any sector to donate their products to worthy causes around the globe. To support this initiative, Podsystem is setting up an online supplier network, through which companies can contact charities that may be in need of their goods or services. Interested companies should visit www.podsystem.com or call +44 (0) 1280 818 772 for more details about how they can get involved.
About Podsystem
Podsystem Ltd. is an MVNO specializing in data SIM cards for the M2M and business travel sectors. An expert in multi-network data SIMs, Podsystem offers coverage worldwide across a wide variety of networks at prices comparable to, or often lower than, local single network SIMs.
Podsystem Ltd. is based in the UK with offices in Spain and the USA. From these offices the company serves customers across Europe and the USA and is able to provide coverage at a global level in specific countries throughout Asia, Australasia and Africa. For further information please visit www.podsystem.com.
About the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates over 230 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and has more than 180 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824 its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 139,000 lives. A charity registered in England and Wales (209603) and Scotland (SC037736). Charity number CHY 2678 in the Republic of Ireland
