Ring of Security

By Abraham Joseph -

Have you ever found yourself in a tricky situation, and wished you could signal someone – anyone – surreptitiously? Would you like to offer this protection to a loved one or friend? In that case, NIMB has a solution for you. It consists of a smart safety ring and an associated service that is set up and managed via a smartphone application.

The ring uses a Sierra wireless module and works anywhere there is an LTE-M or NB-IoT network service. It does not rely on the mobile phone for connectivity. It can operate for up to 2 weeks on a single charge.

I caught up with and Kathy Romanovskaya, Co-founder NIMB (above) and Nicolas Damour, Director of Technology Partnership Development at Sierra Wireless (below) at the GSMA’s eighth global IOT summit yesterday. Both were keen to show off the ring.

NIMB launched the service in the US, where it is offered in conjunction with AT&T. The ring is free with subscription plans starting at $23.95 per month.

The ring can be ordered in a range of sizes. It triggers an alert when a button on its stem is pressed. In the case of the US service, the alert can be to the emergency services, a number of predetermined contacts or nearby NIMB wearers.

The ring has a broad range of applications in personal safety and security. It turns out, one of the first enquiries the team received was from a company that wished to provide safety and security for its dancers. In this particular case, the key requirement was that the solution was inconspicuous when ‘worn’ by the otherwise naked dancers.

Less obvious, perhaps, are the advantages the ring can offer in situations where legal recourse is required. As Romanovskaya points out, if a sex-attack victim was unable to speak, or otherwise incapacitated, but able to activate the ring, it will be much more difficult for the attacker to argue that consent was given. Moreover, there will be a timestamp, date stamp and geographic location for the incident.

We did not discuss the genesis of the idea. However, Romanovskaya’s profile indicates that she had been the victim of a vicious knife attack.

Romanovskaya and Co-founder Leo Bereschansky are looking for partners outside the US. They and Sierra Wireless and will be demonstrating the smart safety ring at MWC in the GSMA Innovation City, Hall 4, Stand 4A30.