T-Mobile: Calling for help by pressing a button

• DANIUS: a partnership project of T-Mobile and Radom
• Calls help for sick or disabled people and allows them to communicate with their relatives

Pardubice Prague 18 November 2005 - A person in distress needs a device for making emergency calls as simply as possible. For a healthy person with a mobile, this is usually not a problem. However, for people with severe health problems, even something as simple as dialing several digits on a phone can be impossible. The Charita Přelouč organization will be using the DANIUS system for emergency calls, which is one of T-Mobile's partnership programmes, starting this week. Thanks to this system, seniors and patients will be able to easily communicate with social and health workers who can provide them with qualified assistance.

"Mobile phones and networks are more and more frequently used for activities other than traditional phone calls, text messaging or downloading data. One example of this is DANIUS, a system we are helping to implement into medical use within our partnership programme with the Pardubice-based Radom company," says T-Mobile's press spokesman Jiří Hájek, adding: "The system is very simple. Using a DANIUS station, sick or disabled people can call for help whenever they need it. The most important element is the wireless emergency button. Patients carry this button with them and in case of sudden incapacity or a fall in their flat, they can call for help."

In addition to the emergency button, the patient can also use another three. These are easy to use and transmit the necessary information in a safe way. "The other buttons for emergency and communication signals are on the front panel of the DANIUS station. Using these buttons, the patient can send a SMS with a pre-defined text and thus contact a health specialist or assistant or a relative," adds Luboš Novotný, the sales director of Radom.

The DANIUS system can also serve as an automatic notification system in case of emergency situations - it could be connected with security and fire detectors or it could watch an owner of the household. It registers every movement and immediately gives a notification of longer that set time period impassivity. This way it can send for help in case of an sudden accident or deterioration of health condition when a person is not able to reach the emergency button. No activity by the patient is necessary. Using this function, it is possible to avoid, for example, the consequences of accidents when an elderly person falls down and injures himself/herself and is left without help for a long time.

The type of response elicited by pressing the emergency button depends on the decision of the system's operator or user. It can be a simple phone call or a visit by a social or health worker.

To use the DANIUS system, you need only a standard mobile phone to which the message providing information about the patient will be delivered. The information can also be processed by a computer and the DANIUS system can be connected to the central emergency dispatch as well. Based on the content of the message and the data on the owner of the station (e.g., the diagnosis, addresses of relatives, etc.), professional assistance is called or relatives are informed or both. As the transmitted data are confidential, the system is secured on several levels, from a password to a fingerprint scanner.

The DANIUS system is easy to install and control, and therefore can be easily moved, e.g. during summer or weekend stays away from home. Thanks to the sufficient capacity of the backup battery, it is also suitable for use in places with frequent power outages.

T-Mobile Czech Republic, a member of the international telecommunications group Deutsche Telekom, has almost 6.2 million customers, the number-one operator in the Czech market. T-Mobile is an integrated operator: in addition to telecommunications services, it offers comprehensive ICT solutions not only for companies, but also for other organizations and individuals. It provides outstanding services in the high-speed network, which was proved repeatedly by benchmark testing performed by umlaut (former P3) with Best-in-Test seal.

T-Mobile Czech Republic places emphasis on taking a responsible approach to the environment and society. It adheres to fair business practices, helps beneficial applications and services to see the light of day, supports non-profit organizations, small businesses and individuals, and lends a helping hand whenever crisis situations arise. The company’s employees serve as volunteers in many places across the entire Czech Republic.

More information about the company is available at www.t-mobile.cz, www.t-press.cz (the portal for journalists) and www.t-mobile.cz/pomahame (information on the company’s CSR activities).

Contact details of the press unit: press@t-press.cz.