Download free ‘Help Me on Mobile’ app for personal security

In an effort to strengthen personal security of women and senior citizens, OnMobile, a leading VAS provider, believes that the steady rate of crime needed technological intervention. The company has recently introduced free Help Me on Mobile app, which is creating positive impact on society.

OnMobile Information and Entertainment Services director Archana Anand feels that damaging things public news about women, children, and the elderly, and even unsafe places and horrifying stories coming from Africa and Latin American about lack of security led them to embark on a security-driven roadmap.

Anand said that despite availability of many safety apps, the downloads were only few. "Unfortunately, all of them were paid. But to create larger impact, we have decided to make it absolutely free," she said. On revenue model, Anand said, that they make products to create value, while they have other core services.

'Help Me on Mobile' app can be downloaded on Android device and features two secondary services- ‘I am Here', and the other is ‘I need Help.' Anand said that ‘I am here' is just a location tracker and the moment user switch it on, in every 10-minute, the user's location automatically goes out to people that have pre-chosen.

The new app is linked to the Google API that allows user to get location, and converts it to an address and sending it back to user. The app can be downloaded from OnMobile official Website or company's Facebook page, and is also available on Google Play Store.

Once users download it, they get a widget that that can be clicked on right in front and with just a touch on the ‘I am Here' icon , it turns into a green button. It would keep sending out the location alerts when turned green.

‘I need Help' is an emergency signal and is for women, children, the aging, medical emergencies, crime situations such as molestation, Anand informed and feels that it comes handy in situations such as car breakdown and child care.

After the two cycles of the alarm, a message goes out to all the people listed as guardians, and the first of them gets a callout. The phone calls out on its own regardless of setting - even if it's put on silent or vibration mode.

"We have launched it on the Android app store and we will take it across all other operating systems. Next will be iOS and Blackberry, as well as Java and Symbian- so that we can go across to the feature phone market as well," she said.

With this innovative app, OnMobile is eyeing to capture the Indian market. "We want to really impact the lives of people, so that is the most exciting part of what we are doing today and we are really hoping that all the telecom operators will find a way to partner with us," Anand added.

First Published in CIOL