Swift Networks Announces Move into Aged Care with Acquisition of Web2TV

Leading digital entertainment and communications service provider Swift Networks Group Limited (ASX: SW1) has announced the acquisition of Web2TV and Living Networks, marking the company’s milestone move into the aged care and lifestyle village sector. 

Swift Networks is a diversified telecommunications and digital entertainment business providing fully integrated solutions for hospitality, aged care and lifestyle villages. Their services include free-to-air television, pay TV, telecommunications, internet, data, wireless networks and streaming video on-demand with premium content from some of Hollywood’s largest studios.

Swift Networks CEO Xavier Kris told Aged Care Online that that they identified the aged care sector as a unique opportunity for growth. There are currently 327,000 rooms in aged care and retirement living, a number that is predicted to rise to 900,000 by 2020.

“When we looked at the aged care and lifestyle villages sectors, we saw a market where there was no product like this dominating the space. There was no platform that delivered digital entertainment, resident interaction and communication in the way that we do,” said Mr Kris.

When Swift Networks launched into the aged care and lifestyle village sectors in June 2016, they saw an opportunity to acquire businesses that had a readymade footprint and set of clients in the industry.

“We looked at businesses that were operating in the aged care and lifestyle village space that were a similar or complementary offering to what we were trying to achieve,” Mr Kris said. “That’s when we came across Web2TV and we were fortunate enough that Ben (Hannemann, Web2TV CEO) had the same vision in terms of where he saw opportunities for Web2TV.”

Web2TV delivers customisable TV services to aged care homes and retirement villages across Australia. These functionalities currently offered by Web2TV will be integrated into Swift’s own platform in order to offer clients and residents a more streamlined service.

“The essence of the Web2TV platform will remain the same,” Mr Kris explained. “We’ve integrated all this fantastic content into one seamless platform that is very easy and simple to use, which is absolutely critical in the aged care space.”

This fully integrated platform now offers user’s movies on-demand, Foxtel, free-to-air TV channels, community messaging, family messaging, Wi-Fi networks and more in an easy-to-use system.

“This platform is now a one-stop-shop for aged care and lifestyle village providers in the market for something like this,” said Mr Kris.

“There’s no need to change the source to switch between TV, pay TV and movies. This new platform also enables the facility to demonstrate what’s been happening in the facility during the course of the week.”

Through a unique personal messaging system, loved ones can send direct messages, audio or photos to individual residents using an app connected to a section called My Family on the TV platform. Nurses and care staff working in aged care homes can also utilise the My Community section, which is a communal style noticeboard where activity schedules and appointment reminders can be posted, along with photos of events within the home and outside in the local community.

Future developments include creating more and more aged care specific content and expanding on Web2TV’s existing content, including virtual travel, exercise classes, karaoke and trivia.

Mr Hannemann explains that it’s all about providing valuable connectivity between residents, their family and friends and their local community.

“The vision within this business right from the start was to use technology to engage residents and bring the community to them, because they often can’t get out there.”

To find out more about Swift’s mission to engage, inform and entertain residents within aged care, click here or contact Ben Hannemann on 0400 088 794 or ben.hannemann@swiftnetworks.com.au. 

Watch the video below for a demonstration of Swift Networks' platform for aged care:

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Pictured: Swift Networks CEO, Xavier Kris.