KEEPING TRACK OF YOUR KID IS CHILD'S PLAY WITH KIDSOK

Mobile phone location service goes on sale

in over 500 stores across the UK

18th July 2005 , London - As a parent, giving children the independence they crave whilst safeguarding against the unknown is always a challenge. KidsOK, a mobile phone location service launched to retail this week, helps by enabling parents locate their child discreetly using a mobile phone. Endorsed by leading children's charity Kidscape, KidsOK mobile phone location packs will be available in over 500 outlets across the UK including selected Arcadia Outfit, Comet Destination, Bhs, Boots, Millets, Blacks and The Link stores at a recommended retail price (RRP) of £39.95.* Each KidsOK mobile phone location pack sold generates £1.00 for charity.**

“Receiving an embarrassing call or text message from your mum or dad wanting to know where you are is the last thing kids want when they're with friends. Having KidsOK available in stores up and down the country means that parents have a new way to overcome this issue. Now they can use this service to discreetly 'ping' their child instead of calling or texting,” says Richard Jelbert, CEO and co-founder of mTrack Services, the company behind KidsOK. “The KidsOK service is based on encouraging trust and co-operation between parent and child, striking a balance between giving kids their freedom and knowing where they are.”

“As parents, we worry about our children more when they are away from home,” says Michelle Elliot, Director of Kidscape. “The KidsOK service is a brilliant way to keep in touch and their security system ensures that our children can only be contacted by us and not by strangers. Kidscape is very enthusiastic about KidsOK – this is a great way for parents to keep track of their children.”

Designed by mobile and safety specialist mTrack Services, KidsOK allows parents subscribing to the service to establish the location of their child's mobile phone within 60 seconds. Rather than making unwanted phone calls or text messages to keep track of their child, parents using KidsOK simply 'ping' their child's mobile by sending a text message to 60777 including the child’s name, for example “ping mark”. KidsOK identifies the position of the child's phone to within 500m in built up areas using state of the art GSM location based technology, sending a text description and map of the location back to the parent's phone.

KidsOK takes security extremely seriously and a security advisory board has been established by KidsOK to ensure the KidsOK service is secure. All mobile numbers are encrypted by the KidsOK servers to ensure privacy and parents go through Home Office approved security checks during registration before they are able to use the service. Every child tracked by a parent has to opt in to the KidsOK service before it can start and they can switch the service off at any time.

After a KidsOK pack is purchased parents either call 0845 456 4408 or register online at www.kidsok.net. Parents need to provide the numbers of their child's phone and their own mobile. They then receive an activation code which they text back from the registered parent’s phone to access their KidsOK account.

*The KidsOK pack includes the first year's subscription, three handsets (parents' or children's) enabled and the first ten pings. Larger families can enable further handsets on payment of £4.95 p.a. per handset. Further 'pings' are purchased in bundles of 20 from KidsOK for £9.95. The KidsOK service does not require a PC and there is no need to install any software. Parents using the service need their mobile phones to be enabled for WAP (GPRS) which operators do for free. The UK 's four major operators (O2, Orange , T-Mobile and Vodafone) have enabled the service but, subject to decisions from Virgin and 3, children's phones on Virgin and 3 cannot be located.

**£1.00 from the £39.95 RRP goes to the KidsOK Charitable Trust which provides donations to a variety of children’s charities and good causes.

 (21/7/05)