MTS SEARCH: There is everything?

Rumors about the early development in the bowels of the MTS whole range of services LBS (Location Based Services - Services based on location) were first seen exactly nine months ago. Today the portal is already functioning in the pre-commercial mode, the test (free) operation will continue until March 17. Time enough for that one interested can evaluate for themselves the potential usefulness and attractiveness of new services.

On the first, preliminary demonstration of the new service we've written six months ago. While it was possible only corner of my eye to get acquainted with SMS-services interface, but the prospects looked quite promising. I must say that expectation came true, and basically all the declared range of LBS-service functions well. Not without a small roughness, but the period of test operation of the majority of bugs will surely be eliminated. Rewrite by copy / paste the documentation from the site makes no sense: go, checking in, study. Currently the service works in Moscow and Moscow region.

Free or "almost" for free?

From personal experience and the assurances given by the MTS test operation really is free for subscribers of all tariff plans of MTS, including "Jeans". To register a name / password to send SMS-message to the appropriate short code, but these SMS (as well as subsequent SMS-requests) for the idea should not be charged. At least in our case, the billing has not been noticed. On the other hand, the fact of registration implies consent to the "Agreement on the provision of services," in which black and white:

Terms and Payment Procedure

A. During test operation, set on March 17, 2005, inclusive, is not charging users to access the portal and work with the service via the Internet.

B. Moreover, if the user is working with a service via SMS or WAP, charging for the traffic or outgoing messages will be produced according to the tariff plan of the User.

In other words, officially guaranteed free only when accessed through web-based portal, so that the SMS-interface shall use at your own risk and are not offended if the money for the messages sent by yet written off. And, of course, charging wap-traffic has not been canceled anyway.

What is offered

Services based on the location of mobile phone may be designed in an incredible amount. The fact that the offer MegaFon-Moscow and MTS - just the beginning of a long road. Conventionally, such services can be divided into two main categories: tracking movements of a particular phone number and find the nearest (geographically) of objects.Of course, there may be any combination: for example, interactive "games on the ground" and MTS-service IS LOVE as "objects" are the same users with enabled handsets in the pocket.

Determination closest to the user fixed objects (coffee shop, a polyclinic, a gas station, ATM, etc.) in the SMS-interface implemented long ago in all of Moscow networks, GSM, in response to a request from SIM-menu, you can get SMS-information with address and phone corresponding to the "point". However, immediately see all the desired objects on the map definitely nicer. However, for comfortable viewing maps of neighborhoods desirable laptop with internet access (at least - CPC), which somewhat reduces the value of services. Still, in 9 cases out of 10 computers with internet access is at hand in the place and neighborhood of which we are so familiar. While certainly there wap-enthusiasts, and the popularity of all smartphones and communicators is growing steadily.

The database portal MTS-SEARCH provides information on a variety of objects, but in some categories even speak about a satisfactory completeness of the information is clearly not necessary. In the presence of at least a dozen cafes within 500 meters from the portal request offered a ride with a cup of tea, a few kilometers, which is not very humane. On the other hand, all the nearest ATMs and gas stations were shown clearly, no object was lost. But this is a question to the compilers of the database. An interesting principle of formation of site maps: it seems that the program has laid the foundations show at least four or five nearby objects, or why it was displayed on the map cafe at a distance of 15 km from the good seats query?

Separate sections of the portal - the game (only game "Rise," but promised a lot of others) and "My Friends" - a service for searching and tracking friends, and a separate service virtual dating IS LOVE. Description of the game looking at the site, but try to live better - personally I really did not understand who, where and why invading; something there parallel worlds, which urgently need to win. Dating is even more interesting, at least it is clear what they mean. Quote from the portal:

IS LOVE lets meet in real time and space. IS LOVE «seeking" partners, criteria and "introduces" next to each other, defining their position.In IS LOVE can communicate anonymously, post / view photos and additional information about yourself and the desired partner.

By SMS IS LOVE provides access to all services and allows you to:

• Sign up and get NICK
• Seek a partner with the current location
• Anonymous (for NICK'u) to communicate by SMS / / WAP / Web Channels
• Create your profile: gender, age
• Create your detailed profile: height, weight, eye color, hair color, the purpose of dating, text about yourself and the partner sought
• Create a detailed profile of partner sought
• View profile found a partner, including the zodiac sign and birth year of the oriental calendar
• Locate and view photos
• Obtain descriptions of the commands of the Service.

In any case, it makes sense to register at least for the sake of pleasure to look at the map of surrounding area, decorated with hearts animated - fascinating as Christmas tree garland. Visible, visible concern for the operator of the term, single-minded desire to literally cultivate a future customer base. The abundance of "lonely hearts MTS today can not count because of his youth service, but who knows?

SMS-services similar orientation has long existed but have IS LOVE, there are three compelling advantages: the search for the parameter of geographical proximity, the selection of candidates for maximum relevance extensive list of options and the ability to take and view pictures of "objects" with the email-addresses. A detailed description of SMS-interface site mpoisk look here, link to the site is "going nowhere" because of small errors in the address. Though we could have corrected.

With friends is no less interesting: provides not only maintain a list of friends (or "friends") and track them but also the special SMS-alert in the event that the "friend" for some reason decides to withdraw / leave the specified area. A very useful feature with such a great phone in the pocket of a child from school does not run away. And if it escapes, it is far from gone.

Positioning accuracy

Real coordinates can differ from the calculated for very different reasons. The accuracy depends strongly on the remoteness of the base station, which at the time the phone is, ie, closer to the center of the city "hit" would be more accurate. In finding the phone in the subway system will show the closest (in its view) a point on the surface and here the definition is rather arbitrary. In the web-interface generated site map with a circle marking the boundaries of the probability of finding the "object", and the scale of the map is automatically set based on the diameter of the circle. In general, the coordinates are determined well in most cases, the circle is drawn with a decent margin. While reading about the cases of "falling out" of the object outside the circle. Find a middle ground for developers was clearly not easy, but due to personal feelings diameter of the circle could be a draw and a smaller, even though the increased risk to miss.

Few comparisons

The natural desire arises to compare the new service with MTS have long been a functioning service AOP (now AOP-2) in MegaFon-Moscow, a detailed description can be found on our website.Nor in any way claim to comparative analysis, simply list some glaring differences.

• In a variant of MTS has not yet managed to find a way to disable the display of a query form MegaFon such a possibility exists. MTS-SEARCH coordinate with each request on the phone a "victim" comes to flash-SMS without text, with the number 70957699880. Is this good or bad - a moot point, it all depends on the scope of services.
• In AOP-2 MegaFon site map of the city not drawn a circle and street names are made in the transliteration, a map of MTS-SEARCH in this sense it is more convenient and attractive looks.
• In AOP-2 MegaFon graphic information is accompanied by text (listing the surrounding streets, indicated significant support facilities), and the frame with the text information is displayed first. Convenient and practical at the request of coordinates through web-based interface with a PDA or smartphone into shutdown mode graphics. MTS-SEARCH required more steps and text information on screen is not displayed.
• MTS-SEARCH is well implemented search mode is the nearest facilities and in general all the extra services are well grouped in the general web-interface, access to the functions more clearly and logically.
• In AOP-2 MegaFon present an important function of programming requests the assignment of time intervals, or positioning. At the same time on the phone requesting automatically with a given regularity receive SMS-message with the coordinates of the "object".
• A little disturbing that almost any action (even the choice of different scale maps) in a web-interface MTS-SEARCH request is accompanied by coordinates. Since the beginning of commercial exploitation of this could result in a considerable amount of extra nebesplatnyh queries.

Ethics and Security

We have repeatedly written about the impossibility of determining the coordinates without consent is defined in the AOP-2 MegaFon, the same fully applies to the system MTS-SEARCH. For the successful positioning requires not only register but also consent to the determination. In case of participation in games and retrieval system, partner IS LOVE mobile phone number in the public domain and does not appear to find it on the portal MTS SEARCH impossible.

With regard to the moral and ethical dimension, the individual users likely will face an unpleasant choice: to reluctantly allow a loved one to determine their position or get an unpleasant conversation with a discussion of the causes of reluctance to participate in all of this. But this has nothing to do, the solution of such problems - a private matter.

Preliminary findings

The new service, MTS has yet to investigate in detail. In particular, WAP-interface has not yet been tested at all and, accordingly, not commented. Although the fact of its having been happy. Options for implementation of LBS in the MTS and MegaFon are markedly different, and it was good: in terms of competing similar service failures and inconvenience will be fixed much sooner. With regard to compare the accuracy of positioning, it is the subject of a separate discussion, which necessarily take place in the near future. It is hoped that by this time it will be possible to compare the operation of the systems have all three GSM-operators in the Moscow region.