An Interview With Matt Howard of Zoomsafer
July 28, 2010 |
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Entrepreneurs Spotlight — The Face of Innovation
By Grace Ellis
In recent years, a new social issue has been brought to the public eye; cell phone use while driving. Aside from the evident risks of hands-on cell phone use while driving, there are serious fines implemented if you are caught in ‘no cell phone zones’. To reduce the hazards and temptations of distracted driving, Matt Howard envisioned ZoomSafer.
Zoomsafer provides software and services for mobile phones to ensure safe and legal driving. The software uses GPS to detect when the cell phone is in a vehicle going over 15 mph. It locks the phone into “safe driver mode” preventing keypad usage but enabling hands-free cell phone activity. Additionally, ZoomSafer has created FleetSafer for Businesses. The software allows companies to enforce safe and legal driving in order to aid risk management.
Matt Howard, co-founder and CEO of the company was inspired to create ZoomSafer in 2009 after a distracted driving incident almost led him to accidently kill a young boy. He is an experienced software entrepreneur who, with his co-founders, developed the necessary software that makes ZoomSafer such a successful and essential driving aid .
How do you envision ZoomSafer growing in the next 10 years?
In 10 years the vast majority of all phones will be smart phones. These amazing devices are rich and powerful and they compete very effectively for our attention, in every aspect of life, even when we’re driving. In 10 years it will be very common for these types of devices to be enabled with a “safe drive mode” function, and ZoomSafer intends to be the leading provider of the underlying technology to automatically promote safe, legal and responsible use of mobile phones when driving while still seamlessly integrating with a variety of voice-enabled hands-free services including those currently available and planned by automotive OEMS such as Ford Sync and Mercedes Mbrace.
How do you think ZoomSafer differentiates itself from the emerging competition?
Distracted driving is a large, complicated and growing problem. We have immense respect for our competitors – but our patented policy management platform is fundamentally different because it can use multiple triggers to automatically determine when users are driving including phone-based GPS, in-vehicle car kits and other Bluetooth accessories as well as GPS/Telematics services. We are also different because we recognize that there is not a “one size fits all” solution to this complicated problem. Therefore, we offer customization so administrators and users can tune their policies to meet specific requirements.
By companies adapting FleetSafer for their business, do you expect unwilling employee’s attitudes to change when they know their cell phone behaviors are monitored?
When employers adopt ZoomSafer, their employees will be less distracted by their mobile phones, which means they will be safer behind the wheel and the company itself will have less risk and liability. Over time we expect employee attitudes will change for two reasons: 1) they will realize how much safer they are when they don’t text or email behind the wheel, and 2) they will realize that they can be held accountable and could lose their jobs if they don’t comply with company policies.
What is the best advice you can give entrepreneurs who are determined to make a social difference?
Be passionate. Solve hard problems. Pick your partners carefully.
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