A city-based Information Technology company has come out with a smartphone application for
women in distress. The users of this app, the company claims, can establish
contact fast with those from whom they would seek help during an emergency! The
developers of the app are in talks with the city police and are hopeful that it
would become a joint effort to curb cases of molestation and
rape.
Zicom Electronic Security Systems Limited
intends to convert smartphones into security devices with an application called
'Ziman'. As per the company, Ziman can be activated and used in scenarios where
one can face threats of robbery, sexual or physical assaults, accidents and
medical emergencies etc.
Explaining about the application, an Zicom
official said: "It can be activated by pressing the on/off button more
than five times. After activation, the application sends two sets of SMS
alerts. One set is sent to the three emergency contacts informing about the
user's current location. The other set of SMS is directed towards the 24X7 Command
Control Centre from where the operator cum Ziman picks the exact location and
initiates the required action. It
alerts the specified contacts and emergency
responder contact (i.e., police, ambulance and hospitals) in the vicinity about
the user's current location. In addition, a distinct Listen-in feature allows
Dial-in to the user's phone without the attacker's knowledge and facilitates
automatic activation of front and rear camera which picks up video clips, audio
clips and photographs of the immediate surroundings and sends them to Zicom's
cloud server thereby registering as forensic evidence."
"The fundamental problem is response.
There are many applications in the market that provide information, but Ziman
comes with quick responses," said Pramoud Roy, managing director, Zicom.
Film-maker Mukesh Bhatt, who was present at
the promotional event of the company, said, "Organised crime is here to
stay and it's high time we learn to triumph it. It is important not to succumb
to pressure by such perpetrators. With Christmas knocking
at the door, it is the best gift the nation could have asked for."
Tracking device
Expanding its horizon, the company has also
come up with a tracking device offered in the same utility for anxious parents.
It keeps a check on children and
the elderly, who might lose their way. By creating a virtual fence, the app
notifies the user if their ward has gone out and diverted off the normal route.