None of these services comprising Safe-2-Go are especially unique or ground breaking. There are, for example, many start ups working on friend-finder mobile services, and a number of children tracking services are already available. However, the significance here is that the companies involved are of a scale that should enable them to drive wider adoption and gain acceptance in both the corporate and consumer environment. Innovating new services is one thing, delivering them to the mass market is very different.
"By combining the main competencies of both companies within security and mobility, Securitas and Nokia expect to be able to offer attractive and affordable security services in mobile devices. GPS enabled mobile devices are soon to be as common as the camera making this a mass market service."
Clearly Nokia is in a good position to push an mobile related services to its customers. Securitas, on the other hand, is one of the largest providers of security services in the world (250,000 employees) and offers a recognisable 'security' brand. Moreover it has many existing customers who are using stand-alone hardware solutions to provider similar security services.
Here's a little more detail of each of the services:
- Assist - this service, when activated, connects the user to the Securitas alarm central. When the call is made, Securitas is able to see who is calling, where they are located and who (relatives, etc.) needs to be contacted. Essentially it is the mobile phone version of a panic alarm, such as those given to children, the elderly or those engaging in vulnerable solo activities.
- Find - this service allows you to get the location of a specific person.
- Zone - this service will send a nominated person an alert (SMS) if another person leaves or enters a pre-defined zone. This sort of location service is often used in child-tracking services to ensure a child stays within a given area or arrives at a given location safely.
- Friends - this services gives an overview of where a group of people are located.
You might see such mobile services as just another step down the convergence road; this time the mobile phone is absorbing security alarms. Crucially the converged mobile - security service solution will generally be less expensive than the standalone equivalent.
Lower costs means such services are available to more people. As the press release explains:
"Services regarding personal security have so far mainly been used by people with an increased risk profile and have required separate devices with GPS and alarm button. Securitas will now be offering services, which will work in all GPS enabled phones based on the S60 platform. This way it will possible to reach a large customer base of mobile users who can increase the personal security and create safety in everyday life in an easy and affordable way."
Rafe Blandford, All About Symbian, 19 Jan 2008