Satnews Daily
September 12th, 2013

Blackline GPS + Iridium—Dangers Of Remote Work Eased (SATCOM—Monitoring)


[SatNews] Blackline GPS (TSX VENTURE:BLN) ("Blackline") has a strategic partnership agreement with Iridium Communications Inc. (IRDM).

Blackline already provides safety devices and web-enabled solutions to thousands of customers throughout North America. This affiliation will offer corporations the ability to expand their employee safety monitoring to anywhere on Earth. This fall Blackline will launch its Loner® 900 safety system that will include an employee-worn safety monitoring device plus a vehicle tracker and portable base station equipped with Iridium satellite communication.

"Companies today face the challenge of responding to the needs of field employees working in remote areas, beyond cellular networks," says Cody Slater, CEO and Chairman of Blackline GPS. "Our new Iridium solution is the first purpose-built safety monitoring solution with satellite communications that will compete against existing user call-in systems and simple satellite trackers designed for backpackers. We believe that corporate leaders interested in the safety of their employees will be pleased to learn that there is a solution to man-down situations that can go unnoticed for several hours or longer. Blackline's instant, automated and real-time safety alerting to monitoring personnel will empower a pin-point emergency response for both employees and safety supervisors."

"Iridium believes the market for employee safety solutions where employees routinely work in isolated areas will continue to grow, and Blackline's expertise in this area positions them well for success," said Bryan Hartin, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Iridium. "By offering a network that reaches the 90 percent of the world not covered by terrestrial services, our partnership ensures that Blackline can provide a truly global solution to its customers."

Employees face the everyday risk of injury and health incidents while at work and industries that could benefit from this technological advancement include Oil & Gas, Manufacturing, Utilities, and Transportation.