MTS has introduced a free SOS widget for children's smartphones, integrated into the My MTS application. The tool allows a child to send an emergency alert to a parent by tapping a button twice on the home screen, which triggers a notification and provides the child's geolocation.
The development process took several months and involved multiple teams. The widget functions as an extension of the family group feature within the My MTS app. If a family group is not yet configured, the widget prompts the user to complete the setup process.
To determine location, the system uses a combination of GPS data, cellular base station information, and Wi-Fi access point data. The company utilizes Big Data and pre-processed information to ensure that location data is available immediately when the SOS button is pressed.
The system is designed to prioritize speed and reliability over extreme precision. The company notes that the widget is not a replacement for emergency services, although it includes an option to call 112. The service requires explicit user consent for data collection.
