Digisoft Adapts accesso® Theme Park Technology To Partner With Irish Defence Forces On Wearable COVID-19 Tracker

02/12/2020 06:00

CORK, Ireland, Dec. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Cork software technology firm Digisoft and international leisure and attractions technology provider accesso Technology Group plc (AIM: ACSO) have teamed up with the Irish Defence Forces to introduce a smart wearable device to manage COVID-19 protocols among its troops.

By partnering with the technology firms, the Defence Forces are currently testing this novel approach to COVID-19 risk management, including routine military training and the deployment of troops to Peacekeeping Missions Overseas.

ProximityBand is a collaboration between Digisoft and accesso using proven wearable technology developed initially for amusement parks and re-adopted for COVID-19 mitigation purposes. It uses Bluetooth connectivity to identify, measure and track interactions between wearers in a GDPR compliant manner to a secure administrator information hub. The patented wristband also provides social distancing guidance via on-screen and vibration alerts in the workplace.

The device was initially trialed with members of the 96^th Cadet Class in The Curragh, who have already been deployed to assist the HSE in fighting COVID-19 as contact tracers. It was subsequently rolled out to overseas units undergoing pre-deployment isolation requirements in both Kilworth Camp and Coolmoney Camp with the 62^nd Infantry Group that deployed to UNDOF mission in Syria in October 2020 and the 117^th Infantry Battalion recently deployed to UNIFIL in Lebanon. The requirement for isolation and pre-deployment testing is a U.N. requirement in a bid to curb the potential spread of the virus.

Lt. Bryan Dwyer, engineer officer with the 117^th Battalion about to deploy to Lebanon said, "The goal is to ensure that as a group, we are as close to risk-free from COVID-19 as possible as we enter the mission area and are fully operational to carry out our peacekeeping mission on arrival. For the individual user, our soldiers, it provides useful feedback including behavior modification alerts to maintain 2m separation distance during the isolation phase, as well as updates on the number of close contacts made during the period of isolation."

Brigadier General Brian Cleary, Commander of the Defence Forces Joint Task Force on COVID-19 added, "From the management and administrative side, we have tested a developing technical ability to gather accurate and real-time contact tracing information, as well as data that will help us better manage our personnel during this isolation phase. If we help to successfully prove the concept it may offer a risk mitigation technique, as well as avoid knee-jerk overreactions to positive COVID-19 cases. In assisting to trial this technology, we are assisting with innovation, providing a test bed and trying all avenues to mitigate risk."

Designed to replace manual contact tracing activities in the workplace and with enterprise features including extended battery life that requires no charging by the wearer, durable IP67 form factor and a cloud-hosted contact tracing dashboard, ProximityBand is ideally suited for use in industrial and military environments.

Fearghal Kelly, CEO of Digisoft said, "We are very proud that we have had the opportunity to partner with the Defence Forces on this project and in turn help to manage COVID-19 in the force. This partnership has proved hugely successful for both parties and we look forward to rolling out this technology further."

"Our Prism wearable has been a resounding success in the theme park industry, but the unique challenges presented by the COVID-19 crisis have revealed a whole new realm of possibilities for the application of the technology," said accesso CEO Steve Brown. "We are thrilled to partner with Digisoft to provide the technology for such an important project."

ABOUT DIGISOFT:
Digisoft is a global software technology company with three main divisions serving the Tourism & Culture, Life Sciences and Media & Entertainment sectors.

The company provides licensed software products allied with product research and development services for its blue chip customers. Specialisms include digital transformation leveraging VR/AR, Digital Twins, IoT and Smart Apps.

Digisoft is headquartered in Cork, Ireland. For more information go to www.proximityband.com or www.digisoft.tv.

About accesso Technology Group plc
At accesso, we believe technology has the power to redefine the guest experience. Our patented and award-winning solutions drive increased revenue for attractions operators while improving the guest experience. Currently serving over 1,000 venues in 30 countries around the globe, accesso's solutions help our clients streamline operations, generate increased revenues, improve guest satisfaction and harness the power of data to educate business and marketing decisions.

accesso invests heavily in research and development because our industries demand it, our clients benefit from it and it makes a positive impact on the guest experience.

Our commitment to improving the guest experience and helping our clients increase revenue is the core of our business. Our technology solutions allow venues to increase the volume and range of on- and off-site spending, and to drive increased transaction-based revenue through cutting-edge ticketing, point-of-sale, virtual queuing, distribution and experience management software.

Many of our team members come from backgrounds working within the attractions and cultural industry. In this way, we are experienced operators who run a technology company serving attractions operators, versus a technology company that happens to serve the market. Our staff understands the day-to-day operations of managing complex venues and the challenges this creates, and together we strive to provide our clients and their guests with technology that empowers them to do more and enjoy more. From our agile development team to our dedicated client service specialists, every team member knows that their passion, integrity, commitment, teamwork and innovation are what drive our success.

accesso is a public company, listed on AIM: a market operated by the London Stock Exchange. For more information, visit www.accesso.com. Follow accesso on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

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