Technology Feb. 24, 2012 - 02:41PM JST ( 5 )

TOKYO —

NTT Docomo said Thursday that from March 1, it will begin operating the Disaster Voice Messaging service, part of the company’s ongoing introduction of new disaster-preparedness measures since the Great East Japan Earthquake.

The Disaster Voice Messaging service has a function that stores spoken messages from Docomo mobile users and then sends the messages as data files to a network server. The sender simply enters the recipient’s phone number and then records a message with their smartphone or mobile phone. A maximum of 20 messages, each up to 30 seconds in length, can be stored for up to 10 days.

When a message arrives at the server, an SMS text message is sent automatically to the recipients’s phone. In parallel, the sender also receives an SMS message after the recipient downloads the data file and listens to the message. Thus, the sender can notice the status of each stored message.

The Disaster Voice Messaging service becomes operative in the event of a wide-scale disaster, such as an earthquake with an intensity of at least “6 lower,” or when a disaster leads to serious network congestion during which time customers might experience difficulties placing voice calls.

In principle, most docomo smartphones running Android 2.2 or higher, and i-mode™ mobile phones (docomo STYLE series) released after November 2011, are compatible with the service, with some exceptions. The smartphone app is free, although packet communication charges apply when downloading the app. Software in compatible i-mode mobile phones must be updated.

Docomo will operate the Disaster Voice Messaging service on a trial basis from March 1 to 31 to enable customers to familiarize themselves with the service and its usage.

During disasters, Docomo will continue to operate its existing Disaster Message Board service, which enables users to communicate their safety to friends and loved ones via text messages sent to a special website.

Tsunami warnings transmitted

Docomo also said that tsunami warnings issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency will be transmitted to customers’ mobile devices via its Early Warning “Area Mail” disaster information service beginning Friday.

Early Warning “Area Mail,” a Japanese-only service, promptly relays early warnings of strong earthquakes from the Japan Meteorological Agency, and also disaster and evacuation information issued by national and regional public institutions. The agency issues the warnings after special sensors detect signs of imminent seismic activity in a given area. Early Warning “Area Mail” is specially configured to immediately transmit warnings to mobile devices in the area with little or no effect from network congestion.

No monthly charge or communications charges are required to receive the service. Devices that already receive Early Warning “Area Mail” notifications will receive tsunami warnings automatically. Message-reception settings for 905i, 906i, 705i and 706i series devices must be manually configured to use the service.

Link Disaster Message Board to Google Person Finder

In other emergency measures, Docomo will link its Disaster Message Board service to Google Person Finder and will also link its dmenu and i-menu services to various Twitter accounts as part of an initiative to use new information-communication technologies (ICT) for emergency communication systems that will help people to establish contact and stay informed during major disasters in Japan. 

Docomo will link its Disaster Message Board service, which enables people in a disaster area to use their mobile devices to post messages that others worldwide can view to confirm their whereabouts and safety, and Person Finder, a web-based application that allows individuals to check and post on the status of relatives or friends affected by a disaster while also providing a common back-end to share and store data.

Docomo users will be able to view the data stored to Person Finder and messages via the Disaster Message Board screen on their mobile devices. The service is expected to be operative by the end of March. Docomo plans to expand the availability of this emergency service in cooperation with NTT Group companies, as well as other carriers that provide emergency message board services.

In collaboration with Twitter, the top page of Docomo’s dmenu portal site for smartphones and i-menu portal site for i-mode-compatible phones will display links to Twitter accounts administered by national and local governments, utilities, infrastructure-related companies, mass media, etc.

Both services will be made available if a major disaster occurs in Japan.

Source: NTT Docomo