Guardian safety app for Windows Phone users

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Microsoft India has introduced Guardian, a new safety application (app), available exclusively for Windows Phone users. Guardian enables users to switch on a ‘track me' feature in the app that lets friends and family track them in real time using Microsoft Windows Azure cloud services and Bing Map APIs.

Guardian users can call for help through an ‘SOS' alert button and also connect to security agencies, police and hospitals easily via this app in times of distress. Guardian was developed over six months by a group of enthusiastic Microsoft employees in India, within the Microsoft Garage. Microsoft Garage is a global employee innovation initiative that gives Microsoft employees an outlet to explore ideas.

Raj Biyani, MD, Microsoft IT India, said: "Our employees wanted to do something to enable people to feel safer in our cities. So they used their spare time to develop Guardian. Guardian is a robust personal security app with more safety features and capabilities than any other comparable app available to Indian smartphone users today."

To use Guardian effectively, users need to add the names of friends, family members and security groups to the settings. In an emergency situation, the app can be used to alert them, via the SOS button. All the user has to do is tap the SOS button. The phone then sends a distress SMS to all buddy mobiles, notifying them of the emergency along with location details.

At the same time, the SOS button also sends emails to buddy email IDs and posts to private Facebook groups, if registered. Guardian uses Microsoft Windows Azure cloud services and Bing Map APIs extensively and can help securities authorities and medical teams track the user. The phone can be traced even if it is broken. The application is capable of one touch video recording that may be used later as evidence.