Vodacom puts users on the map

2007-11-30 09:59

Cape Town - In a first for South African cellphone users, Vodacom on Friday launched two innovative personal social networking services.

The services, Meep - a real-time, presence-based instant messaging service - and TheGRID, will allow South Africans to enter the location-based social networking space from their cellphones.

Vodacom's chief communications officer Dot Field said a unique feature is to find friends by seeing their physical position on a street map.

Meep can be used on any WAP-enabled 3G cellphone and users can invite their friends and family to join the Meep world for free, said Field.

Meep would be free to all Vodacom's Contract, Top Up and Prepaid customers until the end of January 2008.

Field said no additional charges are levied for data-usage and it's easy to buy more Meepots on your cellphone or PC. Meepots are the official currency of the Meep world - sold in bundles of Meepots.

TheGRID, South Africa's first location-based social networking service available on cellphones, allows anyone with TheGRID loaded, to find friends in their area on TheGRID; locate them on a map, chat to them and share experiences. TheGRID is currently available in beta only via exclusive invitation from an existing pioneer user.

"When you use TheGRID it immediately shows your approximate position on a street map. This is done by utilising network-positioning systems that map the location of your cellphone.

"If you are signed-in, the profiles of your friends in your immediate area will be displayed, allowing you to share content with them in a number of different ways," she said.

TheGRID users can leave blogs around the city - virtual notes to share experiences with other users, for example, a review of a meal at a restaurant.

These blogs can include anything from basic text messages to photos and even video clips.

Field said TheGRID can be used at no extra cost by anyone with a South African cellphone number.

Meep - The instant messaging service allows private group chats to multiple friends at the same time, shows the members' availability status, messages are delivered in real-time and can be controlled to block access from unwanted users.

Meep users can also chat to non-Meep users, in which case messages are delivered via SMS.

Field added that Vodacom's Contract customers could also use Meep while travelling internationally, although the international data roaming charge of the guest network will be charged.

- Fin24

- Finance24