Real Time Direction on Mobile Using Tata Docomo’s Location Based Services

Tata Docomo, the GSM brand of Tata Teleservices Limited has launched two new location based services called Route Finder and Smart Pilot, for which they have tied up with NAVTEQ, the leading global provider of digital map data and location content in 760 cities and all 3G circles.

Route Finder service is simple and useful and is accessible on SMS. It facilitates the end-user to get directions to the desired place from his/her current location in the form of a SMS or a link. This service is available to all 3G customers, and works on all handsets.

Customers with data-enabled phones will get directions as via link and while clicking on that link, customers will be able to visually see the static map indicating the route from current to selected location. Users without data-enabled phones will get directions as text messages.

The NextGen features of Route Finder include:

• Automatic source-location detection without user input;
• User-friendly results; and
• Results delivered in SMS as well as via link, depending on handset capability of the customer

To access Route Finder service, customer will have to send sms to 533331 mentioning the destination to reach. The service is charged at Rs.5 per successful query-response, there are no additional data charges for accessing maps.

Smart Pilot is a unique, SMART mobile based voice guided navigation service which offers information as well as navigation details to reach any destination across India. Smart Pilot application helps customers navigate with intuitive, voice guided, step-by-step directions.

With this service, the user can also avail options like setting destinations by address search, searching point of interests like ATMs, petrol pumps, railway station etc and also can find places on interactive maps.

To use the service, the user needs to download an application on the phone, just by sending ‘smart pilot’ as a keyword to the tollfree shortcode 53333.The subscription charges of Smart Pilot application are Rs. 10 per day (non-renewable) and there are 3 different channels through which customers can subscribe the service namely:

• SMS channel where in customers can simply send SMS to 53333 (toll free). Post the same, customers will get a link to download the application; while there will be no cost for downloading the same.
• IVR channel can be availed by simply dialing IVR short code 155223 (toll free) to subscribe to the application.
• Customer Care SMS channel is the third method where in customers can send SMS ‘SUB SMART PILOT’ to 155223(toll free). The service can be accessed on all GPS enabled handsets with activated internet Plan/facility. [source]