Q&A – Peoplesafe App [Webinar]
During our recent webinar focused on lone worker app technology we received a host of questions. Some were answered during the session, but we didn’t get the chance to answer all of them. We’ve collected all the questions and provided answers.
Recap Webinar
Roamsafe
Yes, our eSIM feature, Roamsafe, works on both Apple and Android devices
Many iPhones and Android phones support eSIMs, including the iPhone 11 and newer, Google Pixel 2 and newer, and Samsung Galaxy S20 and newer. Check the full list of Android models available.
If none of the networks has a mobile signal, Roamsafe will not be available. That’s where we’re starting to look to our satellite partners to ask how do we get our mobile application to work more seamlessly with satellite connectivity. We’re watching this space very carefully to see how we can create a better user experience.
Roamsafe specifically backs up the Peoplesafe service, so users won’t be able to access any other services or apps for personal usage (e.g. streaming). As such, whenever Roamsafe is being used, it will use data from the eSIM, not the data associated with the phone’s primary SIM.
Our eSIMs don’t because the primary SIM in the phone already has roaming capabilities outside the UK across foreign networks if you allow them to so there’s no need for us to provide it on top.
We do have additional solutions for both Europe (Eurowatch) and internationally (Global Response) in terms of being able to get emergency support to the user when they’re outside the UK. Our ARC is connected to other ARCs all around the world.
Yes, eSIMs do cost per user. It’s a back-up connectivity service that requires a data package similar to your own personal phone contract.
Travelsafe
If the user has gone out to a remote location where signal is an issue, the application will be aware that the user has arrived, but they would need a connection for the timer to stop automatically. If the phone has no signal, the app can’t signal back to the server that the timer should be ended; as soon as they get a connection, that will happen automatically.
Important to note that things like timers are stored on the platform/server-side, not on the device and therefore, if something happens to the device, that timer is still there and active. Other competitors put the timer on the device, so if the device isn’t available due to battery or signal loss, then the timer is also taken out and doesn’t have the chance to raise the escalation process.
This is a situation where Roamsafe could become valuable. If you’re going to remote locations and using Travelsafe to protect that journey, the roaming eSIM could provide you with that additional connectivity in areas of poor signal.
No, it won’t check them out automatically, but using iOS and Android shortcuts, you could automate a check-out in that way to achieve something very similar.
Travelsafe can be used for higher-risk activities. It will automatically do five minute tracking throughout the journey which ensures the ARC will have an up-to-date position. Check-in Timer doesn’t come with tracking as standard. A location is sent when you Check-in and Check-out, but throughout that timer there aren’t automatic positions happening. Travelsafe is specifically tailored to the concept of travelling somewhere and therefore, regular positions are recorded should anything happen.
Travelsafe is geared towards protecting all employees. It’s available in both the Pro and SOS app, whereas Check-in Timers are only on the Pro version.
The automatic stopping of a journey would happen if the start and finish location were the same and that is something we’re looking to improve in the future. The workaround advice at this point is to start the Travelsafe alarm just as you’ve moved away from the finish location.
Yes, there is an add-on cost for Travelsafe. The reason for this is that we are starting to collect more data because it’s a special feature that’s looking at locations more frequently and integrated with the operational system more deeply.
Crash Detection
No, unfortunately not. Crash Detection is a feature exclusively developed by Apple.
No, Crash Detection is not the same as Fall Detection. Vehicle Crash Detection is a feature specifically developed by Apple for iPhone 14 and later and for Apple Watches to detect a severe car accident and is therefore very different to Fall Detection which detects when a user has slipped, tripped or fallen over from an upright position and may be incapacitated and unable to raise an alarm.
Team Broadcast
Yes, everyone that you want to receive messages from Team Broadcast will need to have the Peoplesafe app – this could be either the Pro or SOS version. The technology will be sending a push notification and that is done directly to an application.
Yes, the mobile phone will receive push notifications even when the Peoplesafe app is closed.
Yes, there will be an add-on cost for Team Broadcast. It works across both the Pro and SOS versions of the app.
Services API
Our services API can work with any other application that can also work with APIs. If you can get that information into a format that can be passed over to us through our API then anything is possible. The limitation will be, what does the other service that you’re using for workforce management have available to it and do they have an API where we can get that information out easily.
We have a developer portal on our website where we list out and break down the structure of how all the APIs work and everything that’s available.
Yes, it is possible, but you might want to start to think about the use case around it.
Within their Outlook calendar, are users stipulating that they’ve started the job? You could run into a situation where a user is stuck in traffic which makes them half an hour late for an appointment and their Timed Activity has automatically started because it’s based off when that Outlook calendar event was scheduled to start.
It’s important to consider how users are interacting with various applications and determining what the best route is to starting a Timed Activity automatically.
General
Yes, the Peoplesafe app can be downloaded into multiple devices using a single license without an additional cost.
Yes, timers are running on the platform not the phone, therefore any phone with the app installed under the same user’s profile will be able to continue the timer session – using the extend or stop capabilities as required.
When a user receives a Welfare Check they have five minutes to respond if yes, they’re ok, or no, they’re not ok.
If the user fails to respond within that five minute window, then our system will automatically call the user. If they don’t respond to that phone call, that’s when an alarm will be activated within the ARC and picked up by a Controller who will try and contact the user themselves and escalate accordingly.
When an alarm happens, we take a record of all that data which is contained within a closed alarm report. They are permanent records on your account for as long as you have a Peoplesafe account. It contains an alarm log which is all the detail of what happened from the Lighthouse system plus any notes the Controller added. Alarm audio is also available on request e.g. for use in a court of law.
The app can be paired with a Bluetooth Button which is the most discreet alarm activation method. In addition, Android phones can raise an SOS alarm by pressing the power button a configured number of times (e.g. 4 consecutive presses).
It depends entirely on the use case. As we saw in the poll at the beginning of the webinar, a hybrid of solutions using both apps and devices was the most common method of protection and that’s because personal safety solutions are not one-size-fits-all. That’s why we offer apps with a range of features alongside a suite of devices. It may be right that only one solution is the best fit for your organisation and the workers you’re protecting, but equally, you might need a mixture of solutions to provide the best protection for the different risks faced by your staff.
In certain cases it might be personal preference. On the one hand, some of your users might not be tech-savvy or like using smartphone, so a dedicated device, like the MySOS is more appropriate for them. On the other hand, other users might not want to carry a second piece of equipment so an app is more appropriate for them.
