Smith Micro Announces New SafePath OS Solution Expanding its Focus on Family Safety

Smith Micro Software, Inc. (Nasdaq: SMSI) today introduced SafePath OS, a new family safety solution to be built on the Android operating system, which focuses on digital safety for children and families while providing mobile network operators (MNOs) another way to offer a kids phone to their subscribers. The solution is expected to be available in the second half of this year and will serve as another means for MNOs to support their family subscribers in the rapidly changing and increasingly dangerous digital and physical world. Smith Micro will work with MNOs to package and promote a kids phone with Smith Micro’s powerful flagship SafePath digital family safety software preinstalled and configured on one or more devices selected by the MNO.

A software-only solution, SafePath OS will expand Smith Micro’s reach from a subscription app-only solution to enabling MNOs to offer devices powered by SafePath OS. SafePath OS will provide an option for MNOs to market and promote a safe and secure kids device pre-loaded with the SafePath OS and position MNOs to more fully compete with over-the-top family safety solutions. Most importantly, the selected device will come out of the box ready to use with pre-determined parental control settings, an always active VPN, and evasion protection so that SafePath cannot be bypassed or evaded.

“Rapid technological change in both our digital and physical worlds has certainly enabled productivity and connection, but has also opened pathways to dangers and threats, often aimed at children,” said William W. Smith, Jr., president, CEO, and chairman of the board of Smith Micro. “We are designing SafePath OS to provide MNOs a way to assuage the anxiety often felt by parents and guardians when their child gets their first phone, making it a smooth transition that is fully wrapped with the powerful safeguards provided by SafePath to protect them from both digital and physical hazards.”

SafePath OS will be offered through MNOs in North America and Europe and will be an off-the-shelf solution that works immediately with pre-configured and pre-installed defaults that do not require pairing with a parent app, but once paired with the parent app will offer even more safety controls and features.

“This is an exciting next step in expanding how our SafePath solution makes its way into consumers’ hands.” Smith continued, “SafePath OS will offer our MNO partners a way to differentiate themselves from other family safety competitors and to demonstrate their commitment to their subscribers’ well-being and safety by giving parents peace of mind while providing a safer way for kids to enjoy the freedom of getting that first phone.”