GeoContact. Open API and all-all.

In late August, we reported on the launch of the startup GeoContact . From Habr's users we got a lot of ideas for the development of the project. Let me remind you, this is a service for determining the location of people using their cell phones, i.e., approximately, what cellular operators offer.



Now GeoContact service operates in the territory of about 500 settlements. The project has already formed a core of regular users. Every day, 30-50 new users are registered. To start this is a good result, given that we do not advertise the site. Some users offered royalty-free help to include their cities in the service area.

New opportunities

• Now on the map you can see the user's movement history, and not just his current location.
• Supported phones based on Symbian 9, Windows Mobile and most modern phones with J2ME.
• A simplified version of the service has been launched with the name Where Baby . This site is targeted only at parents and children.
• Made open API . Now you can display the location of users in real time and on other sites.

This is a demo flash drive based on an API that can be placed on any website.



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What's in the near future ...

• Developing social applications so that people can not only see each other’s location, but also communicate with this in mind. We can’t say more details yet :)
• Improved location accuracy. Nowadays, the accuracy is about 500 meters, as is the case with cellular operators. Our goal is 100 meters.

We see three potential directions for the further development of the project.

• Personal tracking and additional services to it. This will be an expanded analogue of the Child Supervised service, etc. from MTS and Megaphone.
• Development of social applications where people could communicate taking into account their location in real time (for example, to get to know each other if someone is open for dating too). We can also provide API for already existing social services.
• Vehicle and employee tracking for organizations. Now in organizations this is done mainly with the help of GPS and special services. We could offer more simple and affordable tracking. In addition, there is an agreement with one of the manufacturers of GPS trackers to connect them to GeoContact.

We will be happy to hear from the community about these areas and, possibly, new ideas for development.



Separately, it would be interesting to discuss the use of the API to display the location of users on other sites and the creation of independent services based on this.