Yellow pages on your cell phone.
IBM’s India Research Laboratory (wah! Indians are great!) has developed a new business finder technology that offers live and dynamic ‘yellow pages’ on our cell phones. This technology enables a
mobile user to find and use the nearest most highly rated and available service
providers like plumbers, electricians, carpenters and doctors.
The technology combines sophisticated geographic information system applications and data analysis with mobile networks and provides information at any time and at any place to a consumer who is looking for a specific near-by service. This technology has the potential of providing significant benefits to both
consumers and the
businesses alike.
It provides uniform search capability over both ‘mobile’ businesses and
vendors such as taxis and plumbers and ‘static’ businesses and vendors including stores and gas stations. It combines various attributes (really wonderful!) like location, reputation, dynamic workload and feedback from consumers to guide them to the nearest available service vendors. The technology developed by IBM’s Indian engineers allows
telecom service providers to track and update data sources including mobility, presence and reputation of service vendors. So naturally good business for telecom service providers also! In addition to service industries, the technology also has a potential to be applied to other industries including transportation and logistics, utilities, healthcare and manufacturing. The technology’s matchmaking solution brings various opportunities not only for telecom service providers but also for businesses owned and run by single individuals and consumers in India.
The technology could either be hosted by an individual network operator (telecom service provider) or can cut across different operators. In the former case, it can be marketed by the operator as a differentiating value-added service to its
consumer base.
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