Doro, the senior mobile phone technology provider, is launching the Doro 8020X smartphone, a device designed to keep lone workers safe and secure during their professional lives.
This is the first Doro smartphone to be offered outside the company's target market of the over-65 age bracket. The Doro strategy is to apply its expertise in technological solutions that support vulnerable people, and adapt this to focus on the growing lone worker market.
The 8020X will support people working alone in premises, those who work from home or in isolation, people working outside 'normal' hours and those in remote locations. With six million people in the UK working either in isolation or without direct supervision¹, employee vulnerability and the risk of work-related injuries is high. In 2015/16, an estimated 4.5 million working days were lost due to self-reported workplace injuries, on average 7.2 days per case². As advances in smartphone and communications technology enable remote connection to business networks, employers are now looking to technology-based solutions to reduce these numbers.
The robust 8020X is designed to withstand some of the most challenging work environments, including healthcare, construction and agricultural sites, and even 'heavy' industries. It is shock, dust and water-resistant, and has a measured IP rating of 67 which means that it is fully protected from dust (6) and can also withstand being submerged in 1 metre of static water for up to 30 minutes (7).
Like many Doro mobile phones, the 8020X is equipped with an assistance button which can be used to request help. It is also compatible with the Doro 3500 Bluetooth® wrist trigger which is also IP67 rated and can be worn on the outside of clothing. The alarm assistance request can be sent in various ways, depending on the employer's requirements. In its standard form, the device will send an SMS with the worker's GPS location to up-to five pre-programmed contacts, and dial the numbers in rotation until answered. It is also compatible with the Doro Alarm Application (DAA), which can connect the smartphone with the employer directly through the cloud or to selected alarm receiving centres (ARCs).
Across Europe, local authorities, healthcare and social service providers are already using Doro Care services to support the elderly and people with disabilities. In regions such as Norway, Doro employs nurses in its care offering and has seen how technology solutions can support them when working remotely. Healthcare workers, for example, can often enter environments where they are at risk or vulnerable. Now, with Doro's remote monitoring portal, healthcare workers can ensure they're monitored and supported by their employers when entering these environments. Working with frontline healthcare professionals has shown Doro the demand for services that keep workers safe, and is applying its proven technology to support staff across a variety of industries.
The Doro cloud service is called i-care® online, Doro's established and robust unique web-based service. This portal offers remote provisioning and supervision capabilities and constantly monitors the status of the device, including alarm events. These include a host of events covering lost network connection, low battery, safety timer activation or inactivity, which will automatically be sent as notifications to a colleague, manager, employer or out-of-ours monitoring company using HTTP or the web portal. i-care® online is easily accessed around the clock, allowing users to always see the status, in real time, minute by minute for all installed devices. This allows employers to constantly be aware of their employees' safety and decide themselves how they manage events and responses. Doro i-care® online is an annual subscription of only €48 a year, per device.
Key functions of the Doro 8020X and DAA services include:
- An assistance button
- A safety timer: a function which enables the user to set a timer for an alarm activation after a specified time frame, depending on how long a job should take
- GPS localisation
- 'Are you OK?' alerts via i-care® online, which can be sent to the user, by colleagues, for welfare checks
- Tracking, a service which can view the location of the device at any time via an alarm receiving centre
- Android 6.0
- 5MP camera
- 8GB memory with SD card to add up to 128GB additional useable memory
- Long lasting 3000 mAH battery
- 2G / 3G / 4G (LTE) / Wifi / Bluetooth v4 connectivity
Chris Millington, MD of Doro UK&I, comments: "The 8020X is a fantastic addition to the Doro portfolio. We know that combining the amazing services that we use every day to support vulnerable seniors around the world, in a professional business sales channel, can save lives and improve safety. Our established and robust Care service brings new expertise to the lone worker market and greater flexibility to employers using a truly business class device. We believe that this is a vital new ingredient for employers considering the health and safety risks for people working alone, no matter the size of the organisation."
The Doro 8020X is available from major distributors including Data Select, Tech Data, Exertis and Brightstar 2020.
¹ BSIA https://www.bsia.co.uk/sections/lone-workers.aspx
² Labour Force Survey via Health and Safety Executive research: http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causinj/
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