The vendor said that Lemonade, an online insurance firm, will use the RapidSOS platform to support Lemonade Car’s emergency services feature.
That means when a customer using that tool has a vehicle crash, RapidSOS will provide crash-related data from the Lemonade app to the emergency dispatch center nearest the crash site. Dispatchers can then pass those details into the hands of first responders, according to a statement from RapidSOS.
This new product partnership comes amid the ongoing rise of connected vehicles.
RapidSOS cited a report that predicts that by 2025, more than 70 percent of all vehicles sold will be connected, which means more data available to drivers, first responders, retailers and service providers. That also means that insurance companies will have more access to ever more precise data that can potentially help with emergency responses, as is the case here, as well as crafting more programs that reward safe driving.
As for RapidSOS and Lemonade, the technology works for those customers who have opted in for telematics. When a crash takes place, the Lemonade app will try to contact the driver via a push notification or a call from RapidSOS to determine if emergency assistance is needed. If the driver confirms a crash via the app or a voice response, the insurance company will send that data via RapidSOS to a nearby 911 center.
If the driver doesn’t respond to the confirmation request, or if RapidSOS monitoring technology confirms the crash, such information also will go to the nearest emergency dispatch center.
“Lemonade has been an industry disruptor with its data-centric approach to delivering insurance for drivers of today’s connected vehicles; their approach, and technology, align very much with RapidSOS,” said Ed Parkinson, RapidSOS’ president of public sector, in that statement. “With our relationships and footprint within the 911 community in the U.S. — including telecommunicators’ familiarity with our dashboard, data delivery and alerts system, together with Lemonade’s location-based app and understanding of what is happening with a vehicle — the goal is to help save more lives with faster and more accurate response and a simpler and more streamlined claims process afterwards.”
This move comes as government technology providers are busy helping public safety agencies upgrade emergency dispatch and response in various ways. One recent example comes from emergency dispatch technology provider Prepared. It recently raised $9.8 million in a seed funding round, with the fresh capital going toward real-time and livestreamed 911 call data.
Meanwhile, RapidSOS earlier this year won a “strategic investment” from Honeywell, a deal designed to boost the deployment of platforms that basically offer one-stop shopping for public safety agencies as they continue to adjust to FirstNet, mobile and text communications and the rise of new data and video tools.
