Nokia and Securitas team up on GPS-based security service
By Donald Melanson 
posted January 19th 2009 5:19PM
posted January 19th 2009 5:19PM
Nokia's already done a bit on its own to exploit the built-in GPS on its phones, and it's now enlisted the help of Securitas to take things a bit further into Big Brother territory, with the pair today announcing a new security service that'll let folks keep tabs on you and let you keep an eye on others. Dubbed Safe-2-Go, the service apparently consists four main features, including the usual alert system that dials into the Securitas alarm center and notifies your chosen contacts, a "Find" feature that lets you check on the current position of your friends, a "Zone" feature that sends out an SMS message when someone leaves or enters a predefined area, and a "Friends" feature that simply gives an overview of where all your friends are located. No word on a cost for the service just yet, if there is one, but it looks like folks in Sweden will be the first to get it sometime in the first half of 2009, with other countries in Europe set to follow later in the year.
That's the last time I buy a Nokia...
I must have missed something; which part of the article said 'you will be forced to use this or your family will be killed.'?
Awesome! Next time someone steals my phone I'll be able to trace it automatically I suppose.
A built in guardian app. Nice.
It was about time something like this showed up. Some may believe this announcement reeks of privacy violation, I just think it's a nice thing to have, when used wisely.
If they force us to use it it's a violation of privacy. If it's optional, that's another thing. Oh well, being that this is America (if you live in America), you won't be seeing this until 2045 lol
Some parents will rejoice... Some kids will not...
Creepy.
/please no service fees!
always with the service fees when it comes to GPS tracking...
yay... securitas...
And this is why Nokia can't make any headway in the US. Services like this cut out the cellular provider's revenue stream (just like "Comes with Music," Nokia Maps, etc). Depriving them of much needed income they desperately need to survive in the highly competitive world of wireless telecommunications*. The US phone companies look at handsets the same way they look at towers, they tell the manufacturers what they need, and the manufacturer provides it. Even if there's an advanced feature on the hardware, it won't be used unless there's a business need for it.
God bless the FCC!
*Sarcasm.
No Nokia! no thanks!!!! I think I'm quite happy being a nowhere man on this.
Its pretty useful, but i dont think texting a friend asking where he or she is is too difficult and its just seem wrong knowing where all your friends are when you dont need to...