Anonymous SMS tips program launched

Mobile transaction provider mBlox is partnering with Anderson Software L.L.C. to allow citizens to send anonymous tips via text message.
The companies unveiled TipSoft SMS, an extension of Anderson Software’s WebTip reporting system in the United States and Canada. The offering encrypts text messages and routs them through several secure servers, the companies said, and allows police to respond by text message without knowing the tipster’s identity.
“Due to the massive popularity of text messaging, we felt it was necessary to develop a secure and anonymous means of easy communication between mobile-phone users and law enforcement,” said Kevin Anderson, CEO of Anderson Software, a Texas-based developer of law enforcement applications.
The offering has come online in 32 U.S. cities and 16 Canadian metropolitan areas; a U.K. launch is expected soon.
Other texting tiplines have come onboard recently as law enforcement realizes people use text to communicate more and more.