From Japan: Location based mobile phone temporary work match-maker service

Alan Moore talked about this when we presented at the Mobile Social Networking course at Oxford. We both heard about it from our friends at Mobikyo in Tokyo and the service is also described in Mobikyo's wonderful Japan Mobile Internet Report released this September.

The service is called Otetsudai Networks, which literally means "help networks". It is a mobile phone service in Japan where anyone can register and fill in the kinds of skills they have available, say window-cleaning or washing dishes or loading boxes at a warehouse, etc. Then there are temporary employers who have short-term needs. Say a shopkeeper has a sudden illness and the one assistant has to leave the shop early. The shopkeeper needs someone who is reasonably qualified temporary help for his store. Just enter the need (4 hours this afternoon selling shoes at the store in this address at this shopping mall, cash register operation skills needed, pays x per hour). Then those who are near that location, who have indicated that their status is available to do temporary work, will get the alert.

And of course it allows for negotiating. If you don't like the hourly rate that is offered, you make a counter offer of what you'd be willing to do the job for. The shopkeeper may get a couple of responses, someone who agrees to the amount but can only do 2 hours, another one who is willing to do four hours but wants a higher pay, etc.

Matchmaker service for temporary help. Brilliant idea, Otetsudai Networks, in Japan. Probably soon in other countries as well.

Comments

[Alan moore]

Tomi,

Don't you think this could be a great service for local newspapers?

Happy New Year

Alan :-)

[Tomi T Ahonen]

Hi Alan

Yes, definitely !!! This would be a great way for local newspapers to get into the digital space and especially to mobile services

Tomi :-)

[Tomi T Ahonen]

Hi Alan

Yes, definitely !!! This would be a great way for local newspapers to get into the digital space and especially to mobile services

Tomi :-)

[Lars]

Hey Guys..

Happy - Happy.. 8-)

Thought you'd like to see that even BusinessWeek managed to catch-on to this story finally..

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_02/c4066managing443679.htm

cheers!

[Alan moore]

Thanks Lars

I hope you had a great break we will look at the story

All the best

Alan San :-))

[robinson]

Hi,

This is a wonderful opinion. The things mentioned are unanimous and needs to be appreciated by everyone.

robinson

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