Looks like the rise in mobile theft is driving mobile operators crazy!
Here’s the fact: Mobile operators are not going to wait for customers to take action after losing their mobile phones. Mobile operators will not even going to share with you “tips” or “easy phone tracking guides” on how to protect your smartphone. Instead, what they have in mind is to come up with a mobile tracking device that will monitor your phone in real-time. All the time!
Econet Wireless (EWZ), the largest mobile operator in Zimbabwe, is working on something special in the mobile tracking space. Econet Wireless is going to release a new device called EcoTrader which, in their words, aims to revolutionise the mobile tracking industry.
It’s a bit like Sprint Wego, but available for every age group (Wego is limited to school kids) and at the moment limited to people of Zimbabwe.
Here’s how it can benefit people:
- People can find their lost or stolen mobile phones.
- Farmers can track livestock when needed.
- Parents can know the location of their children.
Note that it was this EWZ that worked with smartphone developers to come up with affordable smartphones for a price tag as little as $55.
While we wait for EWZ to reveal what’s EcoTrader is all about, one thing is for sure: the operators realise the market is huge and by providing a service wherein phone monitoring and tracking becomes an effortless process for consumers, they will solve a huge problem.
But mobile tracking services and companies are nothing new in Zimbabwe. IN 2009 we had Phonetrace launching a new phone tracking system that allows anyone to retrieve their lost or stolen mobile phones.
Similarly, ezytrack is yet another GPS tracking (only for vehicles) service that has been around the block for quite a number of years. It’d be interesting to see how consumers react and adopt to new mobile tracking solutions.
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