Philadelphia-based Medical Guardian is teaming up with Stanley Black & Decker for a new line of personal emergency response systems.
The product line, called goVia, is designed to "promote confident mobility" for active older Americans.
The goVia line will be one of the first for Black & Decker Health, a new unit for the Connecticut company best known for its power tools and appliances. Black & Decker Health will focus on consumer health and wellness products.
The goVia products will feature 24/7 monitoring by Medical Guardian, which will connect users to trained emergency operators whenever needed. Customers will be required to pay a monthly subscription for the service.
Financial terms of the partnership are being kept confidential.
Geoff Gross, CEO of Medical Guardian, called the collaboration a "milestone moment" for his company.
"We've long admired the company for its 100-plus years of manufacturing innovations that have transformed the American household," Gross said. "The company's reputation for delivering practical solutions to better people's lives aligns perfectly with our mission to empower people to live a life without limits."
Gross told the Philadelphia Business Journal he did not view the collaboration as doing business with a competitor.
“This new partnership not only brings together two strong brands, it also creates a new avenue for Medical Guardian to reach customers," he said. "We also believe that this collaboration can help generate greater awareness of the benefits of medical alert services, including its ability to save lives, drive down health care costs and give family members peace of mind.”
The full goVia product line includes:
- Mini – a discreet, portable, and wearable on-the-go device that includes nationwide cellular coverage on Verizon 4G LTE.
- Move – a lightweight, wearable on-the-go device that includes nationwide cellular coverage on AT&T.
- Home Classic – a personal emergency response device for both in and around the home.
- Home Wireless – a personal emergency response device for both in and around the home with no landline required.
- Home Fall Detection – an auto-fall detection device that can automatically detect a change in motion brought about by a fall, monitor for the impact associated with a landing, and automatically connect to emergency operators without the need for a landline.
Sean O'Brien, product director for Black & Decker Health, said the company chose to collaborate with Medical Guardian because of their reputation and service in the personal emergency response system industry.
Founded in 2005, Medical Guardian generates annual revenue of more than $50 million. The company's products support more than 170,000 senior adults across the United States. Its products include in-home monitoring systems, mobile device with GPS/Wi-Fi capabilities, and an all-in-one wearable medical alert smartwatch.
