Ola offers tech platform Ola Connects free-of-cost to governments to help fight COVID-19
Ride-hailing unicorn Ola has launched Ola Connects, a comprehensive navigation, networking, control, and tracking solution, which can be deployed in various use-cases by governments and its agencies
Bengaluru-based ride hailing unicorn Ola has launched Ola Connects (Comprehensive Navigation, Networking, Control, and Tracking Solution) initiative. The company said it has all of Ola’s core capabilities, and can be deployed in various use-cases by governments and its agencies.
Ola has also collaborated with the Government of Punjab to provide officials with a medium to effectively track and manage over 17 lakh farmers’ produce and their vehicle movement into mandis across the state while following social distancing norms.
The ride-hailing unicorn has shared its technology capabilities to provide a direct channel to pass authentic information to farmers, including distributing security travel passes digitally, thus eliminating the need of physical distribution, which happens at large gatherings.
The platform claims to have 100 percent data privacy and world-class security. Keeping in mind the national interest and the welfare of citizens, Ola is offering the Connects platform and required development solutions for free-of-cost to governments and various agencies to help tackle COVID-19.
Bhavish Aggarwal and Ankit Bhati - Founders of Ola
Ola Connects has a centralised dashboard, which can track the movement of farmers along with their vehicles in and around mandis enabling officials to manage the flow of farmers when collecting their produce to prevent crowding.
Ravi Bhagat, Secretary, Punjab Mandi Board, and Special Secretary, Governance Reforms, said, “With essential services working with limited manpower, this unique partnership with Ola will help in minimising the disruption to the critical food supply network in the country by ensuring the safety of farmers as well as the mandi officials as per the protocols set by the government. Ola Connects is a powerful platform that stakeholders across the government can quickly deploy to benefit citizens at large amidst the ongoing crisis."
The new technology can be deployed as a turnkey solution or can also be customised to specific requirements. The idea is to help governments and various agencies in managing Real-Time War Rooms for various operations at scale.
Speaking on the launch of Ola Connects, Pranay Jivrajka, Co-founder, Ola, said in a press statement shared by the company,
"By opening Ola Connects to various state governments and public service organisations across the country, we are able to offer a ready to deploy technology solution that addresses unique challenges in the various relief initiatives that are under way. All of Ola’s innovations across AI, tracking technologies, allocation and flow management are part of the Connects platform. We are committed to serving the nation in every way possible and are offering this platform free of cost, dedicated to the hundreds of thousands of doctors, healthcare professionals and frontline staff leading our fight against COVID-19.”
The platform has navigation and real-time tracking that helps track millions of enrolled vehicles and people 24X7. The team added that the user activity can be restricted to specific zones with alerting mechanisms on deviation through geo-fencing controls.
Some of its other capabilities includes a real-time alert system, crowd and flow management, which will help in scheduling, planning capabilities, and flow control, which will help support social distancing norms. It also has an AI-enabled Selfie Authentication that helps conduct random checks to ensure all preventive measures are being strictly adhered to.
Ola Connects can be replicated across various use cases, including Emergency and Healthcare Support, Supply Chain Management, Law Enforcement, Frontline Resource Deployment, Incident and Information Response, and War-Room Management, amongst others.
Ola said it has ensured that personal and confidential information received will be dealt with the highest standards of care, and the data will be processed in accordance with applicable law and the company’s existing privacy policy.
Edited by Megha Reddy