It's obvious, and understandable, the app makers want their products to become fixtures in our lives, and that they're looking to understand our habits and preferences. But why, you might ask, are they interested in what happens to our accounts after we pass on?
Ask Moran Zur, the founder and CEO of SafeBeyond, who PWS also interviewed about his U.S. investing (Zur lives in Israel). As you might imagine, the idea for SafeBeyond came out of tragic circumstances. In 2002, Zur lost his father at the age of 25, before he was able to ask him some important questions pertaining to his legacy. That's when the idea for SafeBeyond first occurred to him, though he did not create on the app until several years later. In 2013, Zur found our his wife and mother of his children was suffering from a brain tumor; that's when he left his job at a brokerage house and decided to found SafeBeyond, which helps those who've passed away to say goodbye to their loved ones, and communicate important information to them. We never know when we might fall prey to an accident or illness, and while this may be unpleasant to think about, let's put those thoughts aside for a moment and find out how this app works.
The CEO describes the app as an "emotional insurance policy" and time capsule. Zur underlines that though we might be able to predict the next milestone in the lives of those closest to us (a wedding, birthday, etc.), we can't say for certain that we will be there to participate in them. SafeBeyond allows you to forward personalized messages via text, photos, and video. The user decides who the message will be delivered to. They can create a virtual album, leave their last wishes (a kind of digital will), or put banking or other accounts into the right person's hands. The very fact that this app can contain sensitive information suggests the importance of security, and Zur stresses that the app is both private and confidential. So how do loved ones access it? There are a couple options: first, a date after which the information is accessible, or, also, a location to which the information is sent, with pre-named recipient at the other end. The most important role is that of "trustee" or the person who will take over administration of the app after the user has passed away and who will also forward information or messages to those the user named.
SafeBeyond isn't the only app that can bring the peace of knowing your final wishes are being fulfilled. There's also "Cake," which allows you to send your final wishes to loved ones, for example what to do with your Facebook or other digital accounts. "Willing" is a way to secure real estate holdings, also taking the form of a digital will. There's only a few apps that concern themselves with what a user might need after they pass on, but it's a branch that can only further grow and develop as our lives migrate online. However these few apps seem to have the arena covered pretty well for now, and we'll have to see what further developments bring. What's certain is that there will always been a target group for these apps, for as we all know, two things in life are guaranteed. . .Perhaps the tech world has found a whole new way to deal with the business of death.
