SaveMe999 app cost RM1Billion to Develop?

Screen Shot 2013-11-26 at 12.38.57 PMThe SaveMe99 application (link to Play Store) cost a whopping RM1 Billion according to The Malay Mail Online.

Bukit Aman had earlier unplugged the MyDistress emergency panic button smartphone application and has now replaced it with the SaveMe999 app, the app serves as an alternative mechanism for Malaysian to call for assistance through non-voice mechanism.

According to the app description on the Play Store:

“SaveME 999 application utilize the Geographical Positioning System (GPS) data in the smart phone to identify the location of the caller. Upon installation of the application in the smart phone, SaveME 999 is readily available for any type of emergency situation which requires any of the five emergency agencies namely Polis DiRaja Malaysia (PDRM), Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat Malaysia (JBPM), Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (KKM), Jabatan Pertahanan Awam Malaysia (JPAM) and Agensi Penguatkuasaan Maritim Malaysia (APMM).

The users can activate the application by pressing the SaveME 999 icon in the smart phone. Additional information about the emergency situation can be added in the message (optional) to be transmitted to the MERS 999 Response Center (RC). The sender’s details such as name, telephone number, type of emergency and location of the sender will be transmitted automatically to the MERS 999 RC. The emergency agencies will receive all the crucial information spontaneously to enable them to respond immediately.

SaveME 999 will provide distinctive benefits for Malaysian by providing nationwide coverage catering for all types of emergency and integrated access for emergency assistance from Malaysia’s five (5) emergency responders.”

The Star Online reported that the operator of the SaveMe999 that will be used nationwide was not named and that SaveMe999 was released on September 9 this year, with a development cost of close to RM1 billion.

Bukit Aman Logistics director Datuk Zulkifli Abdullah said the SaveMe999 — which is currently used for disabled persons — will soon be the sole emergency channel for the public to link to the police. Earlier this month, the Selangor police had pulled the plug on MyDistress, saying that it needed to review the legal and technical aspects of the privately-runned application.