Program delivers hands-on workshops and advice on getting what families want out of their personal computers, baby/home monitors, picture phones, digital cameras and other in-home technology to securely and safely share the excitement of childbirth with family and friends
NEEDHAM, Mass. – July 6, 2005 – LightFrog, a nationwide personal technology management service, and Isis Maternity, New England’s largest provider of childbirth education and parenting services, are teaming up to provide a unique program to help expectant mothers prepare for and share the excitement around the arrival of their newborns. Offered as part of LightFrog’s "Safe and Connected Family Plan," the program conducts workshops and delivers services designed to enable mothers to remain closely connected with family members and friends during their pregnancy and post-birth utilizing the latest advances in personal technology. Workshops and other programs at Isis Maternity, along with outreach by LightFrog technical advisors, help mothers take advantage of the opportunities digital photography, picture phones, baby/home monitors, the Internet and other personal technology offer during this momentous time in their lives.
"New moms want to feel connected and they want to share their special moments with friends and family," said Johanna Myers McChesney, co-founder, Isis Maternity. "The partnership with LightFrog provides an easy and comfortable way for expectant mothers to learn about photo sharing and other technologies they want to use before and after their baby arrives. The program takes the stress out of understanding and getting the most out of these technologies."
"People are overwhelmed by the personal technology options available to them," said Michael Wexler, president, LightFrog. "Our partnership with Isis Maternity lets us help expectant mothers to understand and use technology that can keep them in close touch with important people in their lives, help them feel secure that they can contact the people they need to quickly and provide ways to share the excitement and joy of their child’s birth – easily and safely."
Tech Tips for Expectant Moms
LightFrog has developed special recommendations to help expectant mothers enjoy secure and stress-free use of personal technology before and after the birth of their child. Recommendations include:
Use a Quality Digital Camera - New moms will want to take and send many pictures. A quality digital camera (at least 3 mega pixels) is a necessity. Also, it is recommended that expectant mothers become familiar with picture management software and photo sharing services, such as Webshots, Ofoto or Snapfish – so sending albums or organizing photos will be an easy and fun experience.
Create a Good Back-Up System - Even with the best security precautions, there is still a chance something may go wrong with a home personal computer. Although Moms and other family members can manually back-up files or photos with zip disks, it is recommended to use back-up services that automatically do it on a regular basis and store these materials offsite.
Do a Complete PC Check-Up - This will make sure Moms have the latest security software, updates, and firewalls to protect their personal computer from viruses and intruders. Without this, a computer’s performance can be slowed significantly and the loss of valuable pictures or even identity theft can occur.
Start Setting-up "Safe Surfing" Software - It is never too early to prevent older siblings from accessing explicit websites. This software blocks those websites from loading and helps to prevent unexpected pop-up ads. For this software to be most effective, it should be updated constantly.
Set-up Your Cell Phone to Send and Receive Email - This will be most important when you want to send an email or photos of the new arrival from the hospital.
"This program and the workshops are all about giving new mothers the necessary hands-on experience so they can get what they want out of their personal technology, whether it’s a digital camera, picture phone, PC or other device," said Wexler.
LightFrog’s "Safe and Connected Family Plan" is a turn-key offering for new families taking the worry out of securing the home computer and setting up the recommended "Safe Surfing" software, baby/home monitors, and video phones.
"LightFrog works with the family to provide the technology solution that is best for them and the best part about it is that we do all the work so the family can focus on enjoying the new arrival," said Wexler.
About LightFrog
Founded in 2004, LightFrog delivers personal technology support and solution services to customers and small businesses. LightFrog’s support model leverages remote automation and "screen share" technology to deliver solutions quickly and at a lower cost than other tech support business models. LightFrog helps people set up, install, manage, integrate and upgrade all brands and formats of in-home technology, including PCs, peripherals, wireless networks, digital cameras, MP3 players and all major hardware and software brands. For more information on LightFrog, please visit www.lightfrog.com.
About Isis Maternity
Isis Maternity operates education and wellness centers providing a wide array of services to expecting and new parents. The first and only resource of its kind in the Boston area, Isis Maternity’s programs include childbirth and new parent preparation classes, yoga and fitness classes, lactation consults, emotional wellness support, prenatal and postpartum massage, new moms groups, developmental groups and music and movement workshops as well as a wide selection of merchandise for mom and baby. Locations are in Brookline and Needham, Massachusetts, www.isismaternity.com.
Contact:
Greg Venne
Topaz Partners
781-388-7900, ext. 213
gvenne@topazpartners.com
Ashley Gagnon
Topaz Partners
781-388-7900, ext. 204
agagnon@topazpartners.com