Technology, when used right, is definitely a boon to individuals, families and the community at large. Now, two new start-ups have risen beyond the call of duty to use technology as a conduit for community aid and social change. D2Y2 finds out more from these two young entrepreneurs who initially started the ball rolling over a casual ‘mamak’ session.

Edwin Ong, 26, Founder & Chief Rescue Officer of EARS (Emergency Assistance & Rescue Services)
So Edwin, tell us, what was the inspiration behind EARS?
I have been working in the automotive industry for the past 8 years and helping friends in need when it comes to auto mishaps. From just helping friends, I eventually felt the need to start a company to meet the ever-increasing demands, hence the formation of EARS.
 

What made you think of going high-tech in such a low-tech industry?
I always knew that EARs will need a competitive advantage over competitors and the key was to go high-tech. Over a casual meet at a  ‘mamak’ one day, a few of us friends including Jason Khong from Apptivity Lab got ideas going and we talked about providing my rescue services via mobile applications particularly through the iPhone. That was when it all started!
 
Can you tell us more about the technology you use?
EARS uses a high-tech backend system and a 'push-of-a-button' rescue application affectionately called the EARs app. The technology uses satellite global positioning system (GPS) to accurately locate the client in the event of an emergency when the alert button is pushed on the EARs app. The client can also indicate the type of breakdown they are encountering, i.e. accident, flat tyre or engine overheating. After a few taps on the EARs app, the client will receive a call from us to confirm the case, lest it was tapped by accident. Rescue is swift, efficient and effective with very minimal waiting time compared to conventional ways that can take up to two hours.
We heard that soon there'll be a panic button on the iPhone app for personal safety.
Yes. For us, a personal emergency is more critical compared to an automotive mishap. We are now in the midst of partnering with the police and other agencies, and also improving our operations centre to provide quick and efficient rescue. The panic button is something we're really excited to release soon due to the ever increasing crime rates in our country!

What's next for EARs?
EARs has recently expanded and is trying to position itself as a leading emergency, assistance and rescue provider especially for areas badly affected by high-crime rates, which is instilling fear into people's lives.

Jason Khong, 27, Chief Geek of Apptivity Lab
What made you decide to start Apptivity Lab?
Well, I absolutely enjoy working in the technology field, so starting a software company to do mobile software, especially on the iPhone platform, was an easy choice. Mainly I chose to start Apptivity Lab as a business because that would give me the flexibility to choose the direction of the company, and the ability to say "yes" to something that might not be the most profitable project, but will contribute to social change in the long run. 

First, there was EARs, then Malaysour apps seem to be focused on helping the community; what inspired you to take on these projects?
EARs itself is already an invaluable service to the community, helping people with automotive troubles. The idea of using technology -- namely an iPhone application (EARs app) paired with a server-side monitoring system -- is just a "multiplying factor" to help serve more people, and serve them better. ??Malaysia Crime is another project that we believe will have an impact in increasing awareness on personal safety. It was started as a website by a friend, Kegan Gan, who did this after a horrible robbery happened to his close friend. The concept was simple: we can use information as a tool to reduce crime rates. I helped bring Malaysia Crime to the mobile platform, where people using the iPhone can read about crimes that have happened in their vicinity.

How do you see technology taking on a role as an agent of change for the community?
Technology has empowered more people to participate and take action in things they care about. With more multi-way communication, we believe this will lead to a more open society, and hopefully a more caring community -- its harder to turn a blind eye when you see photos and hear first-hand accounts of things that people go through. The mobile phone itself is an agent of change – it is definitely going to lead to a new way of doing things, solving problems, changing communities, like never before.

What's next for Malaysia Crime? For Apptivity Lab?
Malaysia Crime has been gaining great support, and we're already working on a few exciting features such as giving people the option to be notified if any crime happens nearby and to send in reports if they witness anything. Ultimately, we want to see the community be involved in responding to crimes. If everyone is looking out for a child who just went missing, or everyone is responding to help a snatch theft victim, we believe that we can really make our communities safer places to live in. The focus right now for Apptivity Lab is to attract promising young developers to work together to come up with new and creative solutions, and every project will eventually lead to ground-breaking ideas! Stay tuned!

 
Achievements:
EARS
InOvation Malaysia Awards 2009: Social & Community Empowerment Innovations.
 
Apptivity Lab
At its peak, the Malaysia Crime iPhone app was #1 in the Utilities category and #4 overall in the Malaysian App Store.