Why Warid’s Location Based Service Matters And How It Can Be Improved
Warid has recently announced 2 location based services: friend finder and place finder (i.e. local search). These are pay-per-use services (Rs.3+tax). Using SMS or MMS. you can find the location of another warid cell phone customer or do a local search for a point of interest such as bank. Service is limited to major cities.
This is an interesting first step towards location based services (LBS) for the telecom industry. In US and EU, navigation and related data services are growing rapidly and account for a major portion of network operator’s revenue. The rules and privacy norms are quite different in developed countries and sharing of real-time location is subject to a lot of scrutiny. Warid is simply relying on per-request permission to work around the privacy concern. However I do not find this a good approach — it can be quite annoying to get such messages left and right.
In the US, LBS is a hot area with lots of startup acitivty. Companies such as brightkite, loopt and whrrl have received tons of VC money to develop all kinds of fancy mobile and web-based applications. Recent inclusion of GPS in 3G iPhone has created even more buzz!
Warid has taken a different and relatively simple approach where the application is based on back and forth sms or multimedia message (MMS). The SMS solution is pretty much the same which Google offers in the US and which works extremely well for quick searches. The MMS option is for the map display - limited to a few major cities. Since there is no mention of GPS requirement, Warid must be using triangulation algorithms to find the approximate location. See my previous post on Google maps and how it works.
Although there are many limitations of Warid’s LBS this still matters because this is the first attempt for location based service. I can assure you that this is just the start and we will soon plenty of other implementations around the buddy finder concept and LBS in general. There are so many creative ways to use this service, especially when combined with a personalized website and higher resolution maps.
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one correction that warid is not the pioneer of launching the LBS service in pakistan. Ufone is the pioneer of launching LBS service for the first time in pakistan back in 2001-02(if i correctly remember the year). At that time they were having two services…. one service helps you to find out your nearest scratch card outlets via IVR and other one was Ufone Guide. Ufone guide was also IVR based service that helps you find find out your nearest restaurant, Plumbers, Electricians, Petrol pumps, Hospitals, chemists etc. I am not sure about the mechanics of these services but trust me these services helps me a lot when i was in pakistan at that time especially when i was out of my town. I expect big companies like warid should take a safe approach while claming LBS service for the first time in pakistan which is not true.
Peace
WARID is the first one who lunched Location Based Services.
My friend is relating DIRECTORY SERVICES with location based a service that’s way he gave the reference of Ufone.
Warid is offering LOCATION BASED SERVIVCE not directory services.
Secondly Warid is offering Mobile Maps service which is unique service at the movement.
WARID is the first one who launched Location Based Services.
My friend is relating DIRECTORY SERVICES with location based a service that’s way he gave the reference of Ufone.
Warid is offering LOCATION BASED SERVIVCE not directory services.
Secondly Warid is offering Mobile Maps service which is unique service at the movement.
Is it a cheap replacement of car trackers also?
Ufone introduced this service first in Pakistan in 2001. Even at that time Paktel Or Mobilink were not able to launch it in spite of their tenure in Pakistan. So Brothers Ufoneis the pioneer of this service. No further Comments about this.
I’m pretty sure I’ve never heard of Ufone offering services like Warid’s 141. Even going through Ufone’s pages at http://www.archive.org/ reveals nothing useful.
Do you have anything to back up your claim, Usama?
http://www.ufone.com/mobPro_pocketData.aspx - Check under the GPRS heading.
O gee how did that suddenly pop up. ;)
Ufone did offer the scratch card lookup service but it was quite a crude implementation, cannot be compared to today’s LBS offering from Warid. It is like offering GPRS and calling it mobile ‘broadband’, where as your competitor might be offering a product with the same name but along with a dedicated usb/pcmcia based edge or 3g data card.
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Interesting. I have been looking for a Map supplier for Paistan Maps.
Wonder if anyone oneof yo knows wh supplies map for Warid.
Thnks,
DJ
Can anybody help me how to find the Location, Friend’s Location in UFONE?