Now do not get lost in Bangalore
One number is all you need to remember - 90088 90088
Bangalore, Sept 30, 2009: Onze Technologies India Pvt Ltd introduces Latlong, a location search and driving directions service in the easy to use SMS platform, wherein, people can search WHERE a place is and also HOW to get there from any other place in Bangalore. An SMS is easier to use, less time consuming and way cheaper than a GPS navigation service or other such services.
The service developed by 4 former Infosys engineers helps people in Bangalore get to their destination. Options available till today have been limited to the use of a GPS system on Smartphones or to ask someone passing by; but not any more!
Latlong (www.latlong.in)/90088 90088 is an SMS-based location search and direction finding service that provides directions to people with or without Smartphones to any location in Bangalore. The directions are easy to understand, explained in layman‘s language with familiar landmarks that virtually makes it impossible to get lost in the city ever again.
As said by Onze, ´Latlong GETS YOU THERE‘. All that the end user needs is a phone that has the capability to send and receive plain text messages.
How Latlong works: The user sends an SMS to 90088 90088. The request goes to a server managed by Onze. The server automatically and instantaneously entertains the request from the customer as the information is already preloaded into the server.
The service has been tailored to address the unique market requirements of India where people are not used to navigation maps and location based services are yet to catch up. Onze was founded with the aim of building India's best Location Based Service.
"There are a lot of challenges that the LBS industry in India is facing currently and most important of these is availability of accurate GIS (Geographic Information System). The problem lies in the fact that the current GIS data has been built for other requirements and not for LBS†says Sudarshan H S, CEO of Onze Technologies.
The founders of Latlong, 4 former Infosys engineers- Sudarshan HS, Pavaman Athani, Sairam Rajamani and Rahul RS- combined their expertise in the fields of product development and running it to start an innovative search and directions service based on maps developed in-house. Latlong overcomes the usual shortcomings that hinder the growth of such services in India by being programmed to function through the text platform.
The latter feature gains prominence in the backdrop of Preference for low feature handsets in India. Though the mobile subscriber base is growing in the country, there is a mindset to purchase the handset for basic utility service which is voice. But these handsets are not in a position to support VAS such as GPRS.
The SMS service is available free of charge and all you pay is the standard SMS rate according to your plan. It needs no subscription. The Latlong system is equipped to understand the customers‘ request and gives them what they want directions!
It can be used to look for restaurants, pharmacies, shopping centres, petrol bunks, ATMs etc., in Bangalore and can also be used to get directions to go to the nearest cinema that is playing your favourite movie or locate the pharmacy on your route home that stocks the product you need. It has been found that users also look for localities and roads.
The service is reliable and involves very little waiting time. The reply back time varies from 3 seconds to 1 minute depending on the mobile operator‘s message traffic congestion and availability of signals.
The example usages of LatLong are:
Example 1: Jayanagar 4th Block TO MG Road
Example 2: INOX
Example 3: Mekri circle TO ESI Hospital
Example 4: SBI atm NEAR M G Road
You will get a reply SMS with the exact location and directions to reach the place from a prominent landmark.
Latlong could easily become The Location Based service in India by being affordable and accessible to all classes of users. The reliability of the service and minimal waiting time involved clubbed with non-requirement of smart phones are sure to set Latlong a league above other Location based services already available in the market.
For more information contact:
K2 Communications Pvt. Ltd.
Pallavi.S/ Sumit Jain
23337344
Onze Technologies
[email protected] / [email protected]
+91 80 4130 7394