Internet child safety firm acquires rival
Leeds-based child safety technology specialist Crisp has today completed the acquisition of US-based competitor, IMSafer, for an undisclosed sum.
The firm – founded in 2005, and which employs 30 staff – said the deal would make it the world's foremost provider of proactive parental tools and child protection solutions for the internet.
Crisp's software analyses the content of online conversations to identify inappropriate relationships that are initiated by predators wanting to groom, and potentially abuse, children.
Independently tested by Cambridge University researchers to be 98.4 per cent effective in identifying inappropriate relationships, the technology detects grooming by recognising the ways abusers behave and alerts parents by e-mail or text message.
IMSafer is one of the US's most-recognised internet child safety brands. In less than 15 months, it has helped protect over 135,000 registered users in the US from the threat of online abuse and bullying.
Andrew Burke, Crisp's chairman, said: "The purchase of IMSafer will provide Crisp with the capability to enter the lucrative North American market, elevating the company to the position of the leading global exponent of proactive internet child protection. With a shared vision of keeping children safe on the internet without removing their freedom, this acquisition now creates a unique company in the online child protection market."
Launched in Texas in 2006, IMSafer's software (www.imsafer.com) identifies abusive and sexual keywords and phrases and immediately informs parents of the inappropriate online conversations or social network postings.
IMSafer will become Crisp Thinking (US), Inc and will retain the majority of its founding designers and developers who will report to Crisp's UK management team. Following the acquisition Crisp is also relocating IMSafer from Houston, Texas, to Portland, Oregon.
Crisp will retain the IMSafer product identity in the US.
Andrew Lintell, Crisp's chief executive, added: "This acquisition..will allow Crisp to create more robust and comprehensive child protection systems, which will make it even harder for predators to snare children through inappropriate online relationships."
Posted: Tuesday, March 25, 2008
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