BACKGROUND
What is more frustrating than the lost game of your favorite football team, is the bill for your cell phone, especially after a vacation abroad. Using the roaming of various communication service providers becomes very confusing when one starts calculating the rates and is trying to figure out how much this 3-minute phone call would cost. A traveler is never aware of all the roaming rates of the CSPs and never knows which network to choose.
What about a mobile solution that helps travelers optimize their mobile communications traffic and get a reasonable bill at the end of the day?
CHALLENGE
To create a mobile application that manages the communications traffic and optimizes travelers’ expenses while in roaming. The mobile app aggregates the rate information of all CSP’s available and automatically chooses the cheapest network depending on the required service – voice call, SMS or data traffic.
SOLUTION
Roam’n’Roll is a mobile application that performs real-time analysis and cost optimization algorithms based on user location, available networks, tariff plans, peak time zones and call duration statistics.
Roam’n’Roll consists of server-side service and a mobile client running on Symbian OS Series.
The functionalities include:
- Traffic manager – Catches every outgoing call or SMS and holds the calling/sending process, while determining the best roaming CSP.
- Info section – Informs about the current call cost and time by showing an info box on the device screen while the call is still in progress.
- Call back manager – Informs for cheaper call back options if available.
- Call cost calculator – Calculates the cost of a call prior to initiating it based on: location, destination number, expected call duration, day and time of call.
- Statistics – Provides information about the calls cost, and savings achieved by the application.
- Networks manager – Provides up-to-date information about all the available networks that may be used in the visiting country.
BENEFITS
Roam’n’Roll allows users to safely use their mobile phones while in roaming not worrying about the unexpected fees and charges. The mobile application saves travelers money and provides them with the comfort of exact prediction of their mobile communications costs.
The application is not GPRS related and does not bring any additional cost to the user.
