SMS Final Projects
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Strathmore 2009 SMS Final Project Descriptions
Spot and Report
Samuel, Simon, Mercy, and Andrew had an idea similar to Craigslist back in America. Users are able to post and receive information on the latest deals-from property information and goods prices, to fares and traffic updates. The system will add efficiency to the lives of the users by letting them do window shopping and place orders for all sorts of items ranging from physical goods, property, and services on their mobile phones. Ordinary mwananchi (people) will be able to send messages to the system whenever they spot an item or a service at reasonable prices. The messages will be in a predefined format. For example:
Up#item_name#price#merchant_name#location#town
will upload a deal spotted by one of the service’s users. Suppliers will have accounts with the group's service. From their accounts, they can add or edit products and their corresponding prices. They can also change the availability status of their products. In addition to SMS, uploading can also be done via J2ME or web applications. This application targets everyone: both the rural- and the urban-based individuals. It will be appropriate for the non-internet users as well as the internet users who need instant information. The application will be premium content and therefore charge per SMS served for content searching and making order requests. The vendor charges will be subscription-based and will remain free for the trial period.
Bus Booking
Hellen, Mark, Morgan, and Gladys demonstrated the concept of being able to use a mobile phone to reserve bus tickets via SMS. This service will allow people to check whether a bus ticket is available without having to go all the way to a bus terminal. This will also assure the user that a ticket has been saved for him or her. When the user needs to travel, he or she can simply present a code number received via SMS from the service.
A passenger sends an SMS indicating their travel details (Departure Date, Departure time, Destination Town, Departure Town). An SMS is sent back to acknowledge receipt, confirmed reservation, or to inform the passenger that no seat or vehicle is available for that travel time. Payment (fare) may also be implemented by M-PESA, Credit Cards or Cash. A web interface to inform passengers of the service will also be made available.
SMS Direction Service
Derick, Lorna, Jane, and Eric’s idea was an SMS application that allowed users to find directions, points of interest, and matatu (Kenyan public transportation) route information. This service is similar to Google maps mobile but is accessible via SMS. The service provides local search for points of interest, directions between two places, and allows people to determine which matatu to take to their destination. The services are targeted mainly to tourists or Kenyans new to Nairobi. Given the complexity and ad-hoc nature of Nairobi matatus, many locals would find it useful as well. The coverage of this service will be initially limited to Nairobi. The main selling point of this application is that it provides convenience and is a time saver for people’s daily lives. Leveraging the technologies of Google maps to help generate the directions and routes for this application, this group will be able to attract users by a subscription-based model. Given the simplicity of its commands, users will surely find this application useful, especially as additional features are added.
Mobile Business Directory
Herman, Willy, Rose, and Alex’s project was a mobile business directory, searchable by SMS. Users who want easy access to a list of business addresses in Kenya will be able to SMS a business name and location (such as “Nairobi”) and receive relevant results from the directory. If the directory does not have many results, the server will include some pulled from Google Maps. Businesses will also be able to register by sending an SMS beginning with “reg” that contains their business information.
Other business directories exist, but are distributed through less accessible media such as CDs. Since most Kenyans don’t have easy access to the internet, basing the directory on SMS will allow it to be widely used. The directory will also be more comprehensive as small business owners will be able to register without the burden of using the internet.
Forex Bureau Search
Edwin, Beryl, John, Zelph, and Gabriel came up with an SMS service that searches foreign exchange bureaus. Bureaus buy and sell currency at a variety of rates and charge a variety of fees. Trying to find the bureau that will give you the best price is currently an arduous task. Someone wanting to find the best deal would have to travel to a number of bureaus, checking both their rates and other fees. Needless to say, this would be time-consuming and expensive, especially for tourists and other newcomers to Nairobi. Fortunately, with this project, the search can be completed for the low cost of an SMS. Users can SMS a currency code (e.g. “USD”), the amount they’re exchanging, and their location. A central server will run through its repository of bureaus and send the addresses of the three cheapest ones given the amount of money being exchanged.
Bureaus can register with the service in order to promote themselves. Initially, registration will be free. However, as the system becomes popular, bureaus will have to pay in order to register. Additional revenue will be generated by charging the users a premium on their SMSs. The premium, however, will be a small part of the money they will save by using the system.
M-Ticketing
Erick, Daniel, Thomas, and Prossie developed a ticket reservation service from that they call “M-ticketing.” Initially, the group has decided to focus on tickets for events and movies. Oftentimes, someone might trek to a theater or other ticketing agency only to find that tickets have been sold out. M-ticketing would allow a user to SMS an event (or movie) code to their server and receive information on the availability of tickets. Users can then use the M-pesa service (“M-money”—a mobile payment service from Safaricom) to pay for the tickets assuming they are available. Currently, there is no other such service and reserving tickets online is not an option for many Kenyans.
Codes for movies and other promotions frequently appear in newspapers and magazines, so the group will have minimal work in designing a search system. This will greatly simplify any user’s interaction with the service, making it widely accessible. Once the service becomes popular, it might also expand into areas such as bus booking.
Kenyan Hype
Joseph, Evans, John, Jimmy, and David designed an information service that they named “Kenyan Hype.” Many people want constant updates on things such as sports, politics, and other events. Since mobile phones are so common, SMS is the ideal way for many people to receive the latest news on topics of interest. Users will register with the service online and specify the categories in which they’d like to receive updates. The server will regularly send them up-to-date information via SMS. Anyone who wants to know every time a goal is scored in a football match or the latest political scandal should look no further than Kenyan Hype.
Other businesses offer similar services, but all of them charge per SMS and, consequently, per update. Kenyan Hype will distinguish itself by being a free service funded by advertisements. Users will be charged to register, but they will not be penalized for receiving more frequent updates or updates in more categories, allowing them the freedom to access the frequency and breadth of information that they desire.
