SoLoMo - Social-Local-Mobile

所属部署　研究第四部　インドグループ
氏名：RashmiJain

要約：

SoLoMoとはSocial-Local-Mobileの略で、社会、地域、携帯を融合したコミュニケーションを指す。当初このキーワードはスマートフォンを活用したマーケティングの一手法として注目されたが、最近では交通情報や災害対策など公共分野でも重要な影響を与えるコンセプトとして再注目されている。インドでもSoLoMoを活用した安全管理、交通整理、運行管理、などが既に実施されつつあり、今後の動向に注目が集まっている。

‘SoLoMo’ is an acronym for Social, Local and Mobile computing. ‘So’ means sharing of social information on social platforms, ‘Lo’ means information shared is location centric to the user, ‘Mo’ means information is shared using mobile devices which are handy so that information can be shared anytime and anywhere. Hence, ‘SoLoMo’ means sharing social information which is local or location-centric using the mobile devices, making information available anytime and anywhere.
A mobile-engaged target audience using location-enabled features is a key requirement for SoLoMo initiative.
‘SoLoMo’ was coined by Mr John Doerr, an American venture capitalist at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers in California.Currently, the concept is quite popular in the domain of digital marketing but it is emerging to be a good platform in the areas of society management such as traffic management, disaster recovery plan, social security, weather updates in India.

2. Adoption of SoLoMo in India

In India, the mobile penetration is expected to reach 69.4% by the end of 2013. India ranks fifth among the top countries for smartphone users with an estimated 67 million subscribers in 2013, behind China, the US, Japan and Brazil. In 2013, India achieved the second fastest Y-o-Y growth of 52% in smartphone subscribers’ base, after Chinese Taipei at 60%.
In June 2013, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) introduced a study, ‘Location Based Services (LBS) - Transforming Coordinates to Business’, which highlights the emerging prospects and applications of location based services in the areas such as women safety, traffic management and vehicle management in India (Fig.1). The services introduced are by private companies and implementing the concept of SoLoMo to support human activities by giving the location based information in the timely manner.

Source: FICCI Report - Transforming Coordinates to Business, June 2013;
Primary interview with CII and FICCI Directors, News Articles

3.Expected Future Stories and Developments in India

In India, SoLoMo initiatives are growing at a rapid pace as several initiatives have been taken by private companies. Some of the ministries in India which are showing increasing interest in mobile-engaged and location-based services are discussed below:

• Disaster Management:In case of natural disasters such as earthquake, flood etc.;smartphones will be helpful to track the location of victims by GPS and sensors technology. Disaster authorities can design rescue plan as they will have real time information of the situation. Disaster alerts can also be sharedwith people on their mobile phones by tracking their location around affected areas. In India, the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), a nodal agency under the ‘Ministry of Home Affairs’, is responsible to reduce the impact of disasters through technological innovations. NIDM has several collaborations with Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) and other apex technology institutes in India to develop technology innovations in the field of disaster management.

Source: NIDM Website, HRI Analysis

• Traffic Management: Real-time traffic updates can be tracked and shared on social media. People can plan their travel by updating origin and destination details in the portal, which will show probable routes along with the traffic situation. They can also receive traffic alerts in the mid of the journey which can help in further travel plan effectively.The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways along with the nodal agency, National Highways Authority of India is responsible for such activities in India.
• Social Security: Women safety is a big concern in India. Hence, empowering women with smartphone devices will enable tracking their location easily so that required help can be sought timely. The Ministry of Women & Child Development is responsible for women safety issues in India.

Source: Ministry of Women & Child Development, News Articles, HRI Analysis

4. Outlook:

SoLoMo is about collecting data, pushing relevant information through permission-based channels, and optimizing the digital experience in the real world.Currently, the concept is quite popular in the domain of digital marketing but it is emerging to be a good platform in the areas of society management such as traffic management, disaster recovery plan, social security, weather updates etc.