The Buddy Guard Application – Your Personal Security Network

This post is also available in: עברית (Hebrew)

Residents of the Israeli kibbutz Mishmarot have seen many break-ins recently, like many of the towns in the region. Most homes have alarm systems connected to emergency call centers, and you can always call the police. But it’s usually the next door neighbor who gets there first.

The Buddy Guard application, developed by Chen Rozen, is based on that assumption. Rozen is not only the owner of a start-up company, but a resident of the community expansion neighborhood in the Mishmarot kibbutz, who also experienced a break-in into his own home. “A few friends-neighbors gathered and decided that we could protect each other’s homes in emergencies. We developed an application that connects neighbors, and when an alarm in one of their homes goes off, their friends next door receive a notification and can immediately go outside and check things out. The application was tested “in the field” already. There was a break-in attempt, neighbors came by quickly, and the robber got scared and escaped.”

These days the neighborhood is protected by the application, and new residents are constantly joining. Chen Rozen’s start-up company conducts what he calls a “security pilot” in several locations around Israel. A few hundred people are already connected to the network and protected by the personal security application.

IHLS – Israel Homeland Security

Rozen explained that his goal is not to replace alarm systems. The reality, however, is that when there’s an alarm, the next door neighbor will be the first to open a window or go outside to see what’s wrong. The application sends him a notification via smartphone, informing him about “a problem at the neighbor’s house”, and he can act quickly as the closest to the source of the threat. The most sensitive times, as far as break-in attempts, are Friday nights or holiday eves, when some of the residents are away.

In its current stage the application works on Android devices only, but future versions will cover also cover Apple devices. It’s as simple to download and install as any other app. Chen Rozen added: “Our main goal is to create a security network for all residents, composed of his neighbors, in fact. This strengthens the residents’ feelings of personal security at home.”

The Buddy Guards company plans to reach a wider audience in several other Israeli towns, in addition to further development of the application itself and eventually successfully reaching American home owners as well.