Mobile messaging comany Mediaburst has been selected by security services company SOS Response to provide the text interface platform of a security system that aims to stamp out bicycle theft.
According to Home Office statistics, a bike is stolen every 71 seconds, with the top three crime spots in Britain being Central London, Kingston-upon Thames and Cambridge. With an increasing population, and the government backing initiatives for people to cycle to work and to have a more active lifestyle, its inevitable that bike theft will rise, says Mediaburst.
SOS Responses Wireless Asset Security Protection (WASP) cycle-monitoring system enables bike  owners to lock up their bikes in secure, CCTV-monitored areas at railway stations, campuses, and town centres. All that owners need do to protect their asset is send a text message to a security control room, which activates a lock on their bicycles. If anyone tampers with the bike, a movement sensor on the lock emits a silent alarm, which triggers a CCTV camera to zoom in and record the event. The live images on the security control room monitors are then verified against the owner information and a security officer can be sent to the crime scene if necessary to intervene. If the thief leaves the crime scene before the officer arrives, the images can be used as evidence for a successful prosecution.
SOS Response developed the WASP security system in partnership with Hampshire Constabulary and the University of Portsmouth. Combining state-of-the-art miniaturised electronics, intelligent use of RFID technology, CCTV and communication software integration, the system was piloted in Portsmouth last October through December and bike crime was reduced by 90% as a result. Following the successful pilot, the WASP system is to be rolled out nationwide and extended to include motor bikes and scooters, with Mediabursts text interface platform acting as the systems communications hub.
Mediaburst is a proven business partner and already routes incoming text from our Lone-Worker and social care GSM/GPS devices through its text platform to our IP-based monitoring solution,” says SOS Response Managing Director, Len Weaver. From this experience, we know all about their excellent customer service and very robust platform and both are key to any business dealing with personal and asset safety.”