Linewize Acquires Online Safety Provider Smoothwall, Hires Digital Wellness Expert Teodora Pavkovic

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Linewize, a division of FamilyZone (ASX: FZO), a rapidly growing education technology company now serving more than 9 million K-12 students across the globe, today announced:

• The acquisition of U.K-based software company Smoothwall, one of the world's largest online student safety providers.
• A strategic hire with the addition of psychologist Teodora Pavkovic as Lead Cyber Safety & Digital Wellness Expert.

Both moves increase Linewize's presence and foothold in the K-12 cyber safety space during a critical time, positioning them to deliver a more comprehensive portfolio of online safety and parental control products and further enabling Linewize to deliver on their goal of protecting every child's digital journey, from the classroom to the home.

Linewize Acquires Smoothwall

Linewize and parent company Family Zone have prioritized company expansion with several notable acquisitions, including the most recent acquisition of U.K-based education technology company Smoothwall. Smoothwall adds several new capabilities to the Linewize portfolio, including advanced threat detection and a tool that allows schools to easily record child protection issues and safety incidents electronically. The acquisition cements Linewize as one of the largest online safety providers globally, now supporting more than 18,000 schools and 9 million students. It comes after their recent acquisition of classroom management software company NetRef, and marks yet another step forward for Linewize into the K-12 education cyber safety market. 

Teodora Pavkovic Joins Linewize Team

Linewize also bolstered its already impressive team with the recent addition of prominent psychologist, parenting coach, and digital wellness practitioner Teodora Pavkovic to deliver against the mission of protecting every child's digital journey. Pavkovic will be utilizing more than a decade of international experience as a psychologist to assist Linewize customers in continuing to cultivate healthy digital citizens. Pavkovic has her master's in clinical psychology, has trained in both psychotherapy and coaching and is a member of both the American and British psychological associations and the co-chair of Fairplay's (formerly the Children's Screen-Time Action Network) parenting professionals' group. In her role as an advisor and content creator, Pavkovic will provide support, guidance and advice to parents, teachers and students in the Linewize network of schools on topics concerning mental health, responsible and safe use of technology, parenting in the digital age and child development.

"I'm thrilled to join the Linewize team and help further advance their portfolio of tools and resources," said Pavkovic. "It's tough to be 'well' in 2021 without addressing technology and I'm grateful for the opportunity to be able to provide guidance and address some of the big questions and concerns that educators and families have about the role it plays in our lives, whether it is in the home or the classroom."

"Teaching kids to foster a healthy relationship with technology is an ongoing effort that doesn't stop at the school gate," said Ross Young, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Linewize North America. "While online safety is a top concern for Linewize, ensuring the digital health and wellness of each child goes much deeper than that. By adding Teodora's expertise and Smoothwall's tools into our portfolio of solutions, we can offer a truly end-to-end solution and serve our customers in a much more holistic and comprehensive way." 

Linewize's current suite of offerings includes a content filter, classroom controls, and a proprietary online community containing free resources and expert information on safety and digital wellbeing for parents, as well as an app for parents to provide school and home time visibility and online management. For additional information on Linewize please visit www.linewize.com.

About Linewize:

A division of ASX-traded company FamilyZone, Linewize is a K-12 cyber safety management system and an emerging leader in the fast-growing global cyber-safety and EdTech sector. Built by a global team of education experts and former school IT administrators, Linewize's comprehensive suite of tools and resources is designed to keep kids safe online and address a range of digital learning needs. Founded on the premise that promoting digital wellbeing in students goes beyond a simple content filter, Linewize offers products and resources that enable schools to partner with families in order to protect every child's digital journey, both in the classroom and at home. For more information, please visit www.linewize.com

SOURCE Linewize