SOURCE: SquareLoop

March 18, 2008 07:00 ET

SquareLoop Introduces HIPAA-Compliant Secure Text Messaging Solution

Fully Encrypted System Enables Mobile Staff of Florida Hospice to Communicate Quickly and Protect Patient Information

RESTON, VA--(Marketwire - March 18, 2008) - SquareLoop Inc., a provider of wireless location-based services (LBS), today announced that it has introduced a text messaging system to enable secure transmission of data over public wireless networks. The text messaging system, which is a new feature on SquareLoop's Mobile Alert Network™, complies with Health Insurance Portability and Accounting Act (HIPAA) regulations governing encryption of patients' electronic records and provides an application for secure mobile-originated text messages, giving the healthcare industry a unique data communications solution for its mobile workforce.

The Hospice of the Florida Suncoast, one of the nation's leading hospice organizations, will be one of the first customers to deploy the SquareLoop secure text messaging product. The hospice employs 1,450 staffers who serve patients with advanced illnesses and their families throughout Pinellas County, Florida. Because its staff is constantly in the field visiting patients, the hospice needed a secure way for them to communicate in real-time about their patients' conditions.

"We are committed to our mission of putting the needs of our patients and families first. SquareLoop's software represents a new step along our mission-driven course, greatly increasing our staff's ability to communicate quickly and effectively, critical in providing the highest standard of care for those we serve," said Gay Madden, vice president of MIS at The Hospice of the Florida Suncoast. "Moreover, it is of utmost importance to be certain that all patient information be held in the strictest confidence, and SquareLoop's fully encrypted system ensures just that. In addition, the system provides the ability to track messages from the time they are sent to when they are answered. We are looking forward to employing this wonderful new technology on behalf of those we serve."

In addition to supporting encrypted text messaging, the SquareLoop solution offers a logging function that will enable health care administrators to ensure that standards of care are maintained. It also offers users contact lists, quick text functionality, special alert tones and vibrating cadences and produces receipts to show that messages were delivered and read. SquareLoop's Mobile Alert Network with secure text messaging can be easily integrated into other systems or operate independently, and as a hosted service, it can be quickly and cost effectively deployed.

"More and more people are using text messaging as a means of communication in their everyday lives," said Tom Stroup, CEO of SquareLoop. "With our unique text messaging product, text messaging can become a valuable way for enterprises to communicate. The combination of secure messaging with other user-friendly features provides a strong foundation to support critical corporate communications in highly regulated industries."

The SquareLoop secure text messaging system will be commercially available in June 2008 on Sprint Nextel wireless devices and on BlackBerries through all carriers.

About SquareLoop Inc.

SquareLoop offers the next generation mobile messaging product that combines wireless location-based services (LBS) technology and advanced mobile messaging for public safety, content delivery and mobile marketing applications. Unlike other commercial LBS applications that continuously track the location of targeted individuals, SquareLoop's technology platform is the only one available today that can preserve users' location privacy. SquareLoop's Mobile Alert Network offers location-specific and time-specific delivery of messages to mobile phones and devices that does not rely on location tracking or central monitoring of a subscriber's movements. SquareLoop also partners with content providers and information sources to enhance the value and relevancy of information. Managed by a team of wireless industry veterans, SquareLoop is headquartered in Reston, Va. For information on secure text messaging, visit http://www.squareloop.com/HIPAA_Compliant_Secure_Text_Messaging. For more on the company, visit http://www.squareloop.com

About The Hospice of the Florida Suncoast

The Hospice of the Florida Suncoast is a not-for-profit agency committed to serving individuals and families as they face chronic illnesses, near the end of life, deal with end-of-life issues or are in grief. Community based, through its family of programs The Hospice of the Florida Suncoast offers comprehensive hospice and palliative care, caregiver education, individual and group counseling, spiritual support and many other services to the people of Pinellas County, Florida regardless of race, age, faith, diagnosis or financial circumstances. Founded in 1977 by volunteers, more than 2,500 patients and their families are served each day by The Hospice's staff of professionals along with 3,000 dedicated volunteers. To learn more about The Hospice of the Florida Suncoast, call (727) 586-4432 or logon to www.thehospice.org.