Estonian programmer Raoul Järvis (company T+1 Solutions) has taken home the Grand Prize, over $557 500, including cash and free maps from the 2009 Navteq Global LBS challenge!
This global competition challenges application developers around the world to build innovative location-based services that work with mobile phones and/or wireless handheld devices using dynamic positioning technology and Navteq maps.
Taxi service
T+1 Solutions triumphed with the application Taxi4me. It is a mobile taxi ordering service that helps consumers anywhere in the world connect with trusted taxi companies for free. The desired time and destination is sent from a user’s mobile phone to a taxi brokering server.
Local taxi companies that have joined with the service then submit competitive bids and proposed routes back to the consumer. Now he is able to make a wise decision and avoid robber-taxis.
Järvis (pictured left) is very pleased with the Prize. He says according to his vision Taxi4me will be used in majority of world metropolitans in cooperation with franchise or white-label partners. He thinks the Estonian capital Tallinn might also be a good test-base for the taxi-service. At present the service only has a concept.
A man full of ideas
„The triumph gave me fortitude. Now I am totally convinced: very small Estonian companies (Järvis is the only employee at T+1) can create innovative and competitive global services. They just have to think out of the box,“ Järvis says.
In addition to R&D activities T+1 has also provided IT project managment and offshoring, using programmers from India.
„I am full of ideas!“ Järvis rejoices. „And I have a vision for the future: Ideas will come Estonia, majority of their development will be offshored from India and the services will be sold to Western markets.“
About Navteq Global LBS Challenge
First launched in 2003, the Navteq Global LBS Challenge is focused on driving the development and visibility of innovative navigation solutions for wireless devices. From wireless business applications to sports, travel and security, integrating the accuracy and richness of Navteq digital map data facilitates the timely evolution of the next wave of LBS. Over 30% of past semi finalists have gone on to receive venture capital funding or launch commercially-distributed applications.
This year the distinguished panel of judges included executives from AT&T, Best Buy Mobile, Chrysler, deCarta, Intel, IPG Emerging Media Lab, MetroPCS, Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Telefonica, Verizon and Yahoo!.
