The service will enable customers to locate friends and family using an SMS short code/FILE
The service will enable customers to locate friends and family using an SMS short code.
Airtel is the first in the market to launch a locator service that uses landmarks that are locally well-known, such as buildings, parks, bridges and farms to deliver accurate location information.
“This innovative and unique service that enables our customers to locate their friends, family and loved ones through SMS from their Airtel SIM card is yet another demonstration of our commitment to improving the lives of our Customers through convenient and relevant mobile solutions,” Airtel Kenya Managing Director Shivan Bhargava said.
Airtel customers can access this service by sending a text message with the word ‘find’ followed by the Airtel phone number they would wish to locate to 30100. The unique service will be available to its customers free of charge from now until September 30, 2013.
Osmo Korri, Chief Commercial Officer at Gecko Landmarks said, “We are proud to partner with Airtel to offer this important service that will greatly benefit customers’ safety and well-being.
This service is currently in use in South Africa and Benin and we are excited to roll out this new technology in Kenya.”
User privacy on the service is protected adequately as one has to give consent to activate the location service request from the originator of the message request to locate them.
Customers subscribing to this service will receive regular updates on who they have enabled to locate them.
