Why Mobile: Mobile phones are the one ubiquitous technology found all over the globe -if the goal of Ushahidi is to let ordinary people submit reports during a crisis and know of incidents happening around them, then we must ensure that any phone can be used for this purpose.
What: The following features will be incorporated into Ushahidi’s mobile development:
• ability to send and receive SMS alerts;
• ability to set up a local or international alert number at short notice;
• ability work on different smartphones;
• ability to send MMS messages (images and video);
• ability to send GPS coordinates.
Who: There is an 8-person team already beginning the work on Ushahidi’s mobile phone functionality. Java experts working on J2ME applications for GPRS phones, iPhone and Android developers, a 3-person team focused on FrontlineSMS integration and other SMS connection points, and a design team that manages the usability and functionality on each platform as it gets developed.
When: Development for the J2ME, iPhone and Android applications began in October 2008. The full development team is now shifting into gear for a much broader push into all things mobile that touch the Ushahidi Engine. Our goal is to have almost all of the work done by early 2009 for beta release.
Impact: Mobile functionality will extend the reach and applicability of Ushahidi, especially in the developing world due to the widespread nature of the mobile phones and the simplicity of of using text messages. It will facilitate the ability to draw and disseminate information and alerts among a wider population that may not necessarily have access to the internet.
(Find out more at Ushahidi.com and the Ushahidi Wiki at http://wiki.ushahididev.com.)
The project overviews come from the project submissions for the 2008 USAID Development 2.0 Challenge at NetSquared.org. View full submission for Ushahidi v2 - Mobile Crisis Reporting at NetSquared.org
You can learn more about Ushahidi v.1 from this Gloabl Development Commons project profile.
