PR News

Thwapr Offers Video Communications Assistance for Haiti Recovery Efforts

22 January 2010

 NEW YORK, Jan. 22 /PRNewswire/ — Thwapr, the mobile-to-mobile video sharing platform, is offering operational assistance and its free communications service to relief organizations, government agencies, and families to send and receive videos and photos directly between Haiti and the US and Canada.

 Users should email photos and videos from a mobile phone to [email protected] with requested mobile phone number(s) for recipients.  Thwapr will support the individual delivery of each video or photo as requested to compatible handsets (http://bit.ly/89l0G9).

 While traditional landline and cellular voice/phone services have been impacted during the crisis in Haiti, mobile data and text services are more than 80% operational.  Given this context the service can be used by any organization or individual to send critical information on environmental conditions, site surveys, or family member status via videos or photos. Thwapr is already working with teams supporting Haiti search and rescue operations.

 ”This is a devastating tragedy and we want to do what we can to help,” said Bruce Goldstein, CEO of Thwapr. “Mobile data is likely to be the only form of Internet connectivity people in Haiti may have for some time and so the ability to share photos and videos on mobile devices may be particularly useful while ground-based network infrastructure is impacted.”

WHO:  Relief workers trying to help families reunite, government workers

      doing site surveys, individuals trying to reach loved ones

HOW:  From video and Web enabled mobile phone (or computer) email files

      to [email protected] along with the mobile number of the

      desired recipient

 WHY:  Because alternate means of sending mobile video and photos may not

      be reliable and ground- based data infrastructure services may not

      be functional

 About Thwapr, Inc.

Thwapr is the first true mobile-to-mobile video sharing communications platform.  Thwapr’s mission is to provide a social mobile video sharing experience regardless of carrier or device worldwide.  Developed by founding members of Apple’s QuickTime team and technologists from AVID/Digidesign and MTV, Thwapr’s patent-pending technology allows mobile users to send video “Thwaps” captured with their device to any other mobile users, easily and instantly.  The company is privately held.  For more information and to register for Thwapr, please visit www.thwapr.com on your mobile phone or computer. Follow Thwapr @ www.twitter.com/thwapr or become a fan at www.facebook.com/thwapr.