Contribution of mobile messaging applications to improve citizen security

Abstract

Mobile technologies are nowadays perceived as the most reliable technologies in the context of developing countries. Getting acquainted and trained, users may enhance their livelihoods by adopting new technological approaches. The main motivation for adopting new technologies evolved from their use in own environment by solving daily problems. Therefore, users need to be convinced that the technology will work in their best interests, for instance for controlling and improving security issues among a given population. As security issues are important, also in Cameroon, the evident existence of mobile devices all over the land even in remote villages without electricity and drivable roads, is something we shall rely on. The overall existing mobile infrastructure is an established precondition for building and creating local adapted mobile services. Stuck to their devices, how can mobile users efficiently contribute to enhance security in own locality? In this paper, we suggest a software architectural model for the development of a system for collecting and dispatching security data amount a giving population. The proposed model resulted from the analysis of existing messaging applications and a survey conducted in the city of Ngaoundere in Cameroun by interviewing 46 qualified mobile users.