THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 1, 1994 TAG: 9405280182
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LORI A. DENNEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940601 LENGTH: Medium
Secure Call - a business Stroud started about two months ago out of his Lago Mar home - is a computer service that will call and check on latchkey kids or senior citizens up to six times a day.
{REST} ``With the elderly portion of our population growing faster, the need for them to maintain their independence is going to be higher than it ever has,'' said Stroud, 37. ``Also, in the same vein with working moms being the case instead of the exception, more often than not we really can help to provide a sense of security through peace of mind through both ends.''
For example, for a latchkey kid, parents could subscribe to the service for $15 a month. That would allow the child to receive a daily call at the time the parents want (such as after school).
All automated messages are personal and use the person's name.
If the child doesn't answer the phone within a certain number of rings, or calls, the computer automatically dials the parents or whoever else is on the list to be notified. Up to three people can be contacted.
There are also special codes to signify trouble - for instance, a child who's in trouble would pick up the ringing phone and hit ``0'' for help.
Or, if the child hit any key that wasn't pre-determined, a call would automatically be forwarded to the concerned party.
According to Stroud, there are six circumstances where those on the list would be contacted: the help code is used, there's no answer, the phone's busy, the person picks up the phone but doesn't touch anything, or he hits a number other than the OK code.
``It says something like, ``Hi, this is Secure Call. Press 7 if you're OK,'' said Stroud, a Virginia Beach native. ``If they press the code, then we go away until the next day. If they press 0 then we jump into action.''
For seniors, the service can be provided for emergency situations, reminders to take medicine, an alarm to wake them up, or just a ``how are you'' call.
With a $40 monthly subscription to the senior service, customers can receive up to six calls a day. The senior packages start at $20 with two calls a day.
With two computers and four phone lines, Stroud can program about 1,000 calls a day. In two months of business, he's already gotten 40 subscribers; about 12 are for latchkey kids and the rest for the senior service.
In addition to Automated Communications Service (Secure Call trades under that name), Stroud also owns Communication Products, a Lynnhaven-area company that sells cellular phones and pagers, with his two older brothers, Mac Stroud, 49, and Bill Stroud, 42.
He and his brothers also own and operate the Nut House, a business that sells nuts and bolts to contractors.
Stroud decided to start Secure Call a few years ago after an older family friend fell in her house after having a stroke. The friend lay on the kitchen floor for four days before anyone found her to give help.
``I'm not guaranteeing to help anyone,'' Stroud said. ``My service is primarily to make phone calls.''
Those phone calls can help, though, especially when they're pre-programmed for emergencies.
It took Stroud almost two years to develop the software and hardware programs for the computer. He found one program already on the market and went to the manufacturer to have it modified to his needs.
Because the program is now modified with Stroud's ideas, the copyright is his.
He estimated that he's spent between $25,000 and $30,000 on the programs, computers and phone lines.
The most costly items were the programs he had modified.
Now, he said, all he has to do to expand the business is add computers and phone lines.
While Stroud works at the two other businesses with his brothers, his wife, Bridget, monitors the computers at home.
He said he hopes to eventually offer the service to school systems for attendance calls and to the mentally and physically challenged.
``Anyone that felt like they had someone, or is someone that needs to be checked on, we can check on them and respond accordingly,'' said Stroud.
Secure Call's number is 721-2161.
by CNB