LoadMaster is here(Soon!)
Project LoadMaster is a top-up retailing application. Top-up in Filipino term is to buy a "load" or prepaid credits for mobile phone. In the Philippines, topping up comes in different forms, there are cards, or OTA(Over-the-Air) credit transfer.
OTA top-ups comes in different "hood" words like E-load, PasaLoad, Autoload, XpressLoad. These types of top-up retailing is the most popular because there are no more scratching of cards and anyone can buy as low as PHP30.00(that's E-load for instance), whereas cards cost PHP300.00 at the minimum(that's Buddy card).
For this reason, LoadMaster is interested in automation of OTA top-ups. So why automate OTA top-ups?
LoadMaster on the other hand, helps retailers avoid loss of sale by providing an intuitive, interactive and easy-to-use user interface. It also helps them track daily sales for each service provider that offers prepaid subscription.
How does it work? LoadMaster uses Java Communications API to send AT Commands based on GSM Specifications to a GSM device (e.g. a GSM mobile phone). These commands are translated to perform SIM-based specific tasks like sending the actual SMS top-up instructions or navigate the SIM's menu for specific top-up instructions as in the case of Smart's E-load. Once the transaction is complete, it then stores the log in an embedded database
However, SIM navigation is a phone-specific task. Therefore, for the early release, LoadMaster can only be attached to a certain GSM device, to be announced later.
OTA top-ups comes in different "hood" words like E-load, PasaLoad, Autoload, XpressLoad. These types of top-up retailing is the most popular because there are no more scratching of cards and anyone can buy as low as PHP30.00(that's E-load for instance), whereas cards cost PHP300.00 at the minimum(that's Buddy card).
For this reason, LoadMaster is interested in automation of OTA top-ups. So why automate OTA top-ups?
- First, OTA top-up activities are thumb-busting.
- Manual OTA top-ups are error-prone causing loss of sale.
- Retailers usually keeps only handwritten logs that, most often, inaccurate
LoadMaster on the other hand, helps retailers avoid loss of sale by providing an intuitive, interactive and easy-to-use user interface. It also helps them track daily sales for each service provider that offers prepaid subscription.
How does it work? LoadMaster uses Java Communications API to send AT Commands based on GSM Specifications to a GSM device (e.g. a GSM mobile phone). These commands are translated to perform SIM-based specific tasks like sending the actual SMS top-up instructions or navigate the SIM's menu for specific top-up instructions as in the case of Smart's E-load. Once the transaction is complete, it then stores the log in an embedded database
However, SIM navigation is a phone-specific task. Therefore, for the early release, LoadMaster can only be attached to a certain GSM device, to be announced later.
Comments
there was someone on ph-mobiletech and ph-mobileapps yahoogroups (pati ata ph-cyberview) asking around for exactly what loadmaster does.
na-delete ko na yung email niya sa akin, eh. look-up the archives, bandang december 2004. he was asking how to "hack" the SIMs STK, pero ang tunay niyang intention is to access the OTA load menu para makapag-load from a PC.
edwin
But If you'll notice most retailers got laptops on deck usually they got 1-3 notebook PCs.
thanks a lot! This is a revived sleeping project :) I never thought some people will be interested.
i'm also interested in seeing how to hack a sim menu to automate sending of mobile load.. i have two retailer sims kase connected via mobile phone to pc, pero i want to automate the top up process. would really really appreciate it if you could demonstrate how, or at least send updates on loadmaster. my email is mikepehipol@gmail.com. thanks much!
mike