(IJCSIS) International Journal of Computer Science and Information Security, Vol. 12, No. 7, July 2014 System Analysis and Design for integrated sponsored SMS/USSD Based M-Services A case study of Maternal Health M-Service in Tanzania Timothy Y. Wikedzi1, Ramadhani S. Sinde2 Dan K. McIntyre 1 Computational and Communication Sci & Eng Information Technology Nelson Mandela African Institution of Sci & Tech University of Iringa Arusha, Tanzania Iringa, Tanzania [email protected], [email protected] 1 [email protected] Service projects that are initiated to disseminate Abstract--Mobile phones have proven to be the best way of information to various social and economic groups within providing reliable access to information to people in low and the society. An example of such projects operating in mid income countries where other forms of communication Tanzania and internationally are Mobile Alliance for perform poorly. As a result of the wide spread of mobile Maternal Action (MAMA), M-Health Alliance, e- phones, there has been an increase in number of Mobile agriculture and Maji Matone and many other applications Application (M-Services) which are being used as a tool for disseminating different type information to people. M- for Farmers, Sports, Educations etc. Existence of these Services of this nature are established to address projects have been reported to Improve livelihood of informational challenges that are faced by people especially people by providing them with information which is an low income people. Because of this then, these projects must important tool for making informed decisions and in be sustained so that people can enjoy the benefits of it. staying updated, [3]. [4] also reported that M-Services can Contrary to this, reports show that most of these M-Services contribute in fighting poverty by facilitating the are facing the challenge of cost of operating them, which in convergence of local and global knowledge and a direct way affects the sustainability of these services. In disseminate it to the rural areas so as to improve economic this paper therefore we present an analysis and later design production capacity in the settings in which the majority of a noncommercial M-Service, which integrates advertising functionality as a tool for subsidizing the cost of operating of the poor live. M-Services. To achieve this we have employed some concepts of Information System Analysis and Design (ISAD) Despite the fact that M-Service projects have proven to be as the guiding principle towards achieving our design. A a potential way for disseminating information to people, prototype of M-Health is used for the study. they are challenged by cost of service which is directly affecting sustainability of such services (MAMA 2013). Keywords-M-Service; ISAD; Ad, USSD; SMS; Mobile; mHealth Alliance report affirms to the fact that M- Sustainable; Cost of operation. Services improves access to information, But the question of financial sustainability and ultimately “Who pays?” I. INTRODUCTION poses persistent challenges and barriers to scale and investment in such projects. Studies show that cost of The mobile communications technology has quickly information is among the major barriers to effective use become the world’s most common way of transmitting of information which has resulted in underperformance voice, data, and services in the developing world. They and in some cases, total failure of M-Service e.g. Maji carry a potential of being the best media for dissemination Matone Project in Tanzania. The experience of MAMA is of information because mobile services are widely a similar case for most other M-Services even those which available and inexpensive, [1]. Mobile phones are less are not related to M-Health. A report by mHealth Alliance inhibited by traditional access barriers that hinder the on usage of mobile phone applications for disseminating widespread use of many other communications information indicated that, at present, the majority of M- technologies including geography, socioeconomic status, Services, particularly in low and middle-income infrastructure such as electricity and literacy, [2] countries, are dependent on donor funding. The report states further that, this model of financing is unsustainable The potential of Mobile Technology being the right tool because of the lack of certainty that funding will be for disseminating information has led to establishment M- 1 (IJCSIS) International Journal of Computer Science and Information Security, Vol. 12, No. 7, July 2014 renewed and always the funds are limited to allow the advertisements as a tool for generating income. However project to run in full scale. As a result, most of these M- in this study we are set to present an idea of SMS Service projects do not survive because of their advertisesments as a potential solution for free access to dependence on this form of financing. The question, who information for all categories of mobile phone users. pays? Is at the centre of most M-Services discussion. Implementing a sustainable M-Services is an important According to [5] report, Securing sufficient revenue is aspect towards ensuring long term benefits of those still a challenge for most providers of noncommercial M- projects. In this paper we present the Analysis and Design Services. [5] Presents a solution that, M-Service providers of an Integrated M-Service that addresses the challenge of must develop a creative mix of revenue streams while cost of operation by using SMS advertisement support as taking into account the affordability of services. The an integral part of the system. A case study of M-Service report identifies the challenge of limited income for for Maternal Heath in Tanzania is used. people in rural areas and so recommends an advertising model to be used to cover the cost of operating the M- Service. II. LITERATURE REVIEW A. Mobile Application as M-Service There are M-Services which have succeeded and based on [5] Defines mobile Applications as software designed to the current trend they have shown potential for further take advantage of mobile technology. In this paper we adoption (intermedia 2013), examples of such services are specifically refer to Mobile Applications as SMS Based Mobile Money (M-Money) and Mobile Banking. Which Mobile Application (M-Services). This way we put a uses a self-financing mechanism by charging users per distinction of M-Service from more complex and transaction. There are also existing commercial M- advanced Mobile Applications that run on smartphones. Services agencies which run mobile services for The reason to do this is that, although mobile phones are information access such as Health information and widely spread in low and mid income countries, the agricultural information on weather and market prices for majority of people, especially in low income countries, farmers as well as other forms of SMS campaigns, [6], [7]. own basic phones which have limited features compared Instead of providing free access to information these to smartphones. agents charge all their subscribers an access fee that ranges between 250Tsh, 500Tsh or higher for access. These models of financing M-Services promise B. Sustainable M-Service sustainability but they pose a threat of Digital Divide [9] Defines Sustainability as the process of maintaining between those who can pay for access and those who something that already exists over time without needing cannot pay. Cost of service in running M-Service has an outside support for it to continue existing. Whereas direct impact to the sustainability of M-Services. Donor [10] provides us with a more specific definition of funded M-Service project will only survive as long as the sustainable IT as a Technology that is capable of being project gets support, but as the size of the project grows it maintained over a long span of time without being then becomes a direct threat to sustainability of the M- affected by the changes in both hardware and software. Service. A sustainable financial model is needed to ensure This definition presents to us two important things to survival of M-Service projects [8] consider when talking about sustainable IT, in this case an M-Service, one is the life span of the system, and two is This study is set to adopt the recommendation from [5] the ability of a system not being affected by the changes and design an M-Service that integrates Advertisements in hardware and the software. functionality as system module for subsiding cost of operating an M-Service. Advertisements have widely C. SMS been used in the field of Information technology as a Short Message Service (SMS) is a text messaging service mechanism for covering cost and of course making component of phone, Web, or mobile communication profits. Companies like Google, for example, make a systems. It uses standardized communications protocols fortune through advertisements. The potential of to allow fixed line or mobile phone devices to exchange advertisements in covering the cost of access has short text messages, [11]. Content of one SMS is limited benefited a lot of other companies like Facebook and to a maximum160 ASCII characters. SMS are sent to Yahoo which provide users with free access at the cost of mobile phones via the SMS Gateway. Using SMS receiving advertisements. Nowadays there are thousands technology, it is also possible to send them in Bulk, in of free mobile apps in the market which use 2 (IJCSIS) International Journal of Computer Science and Information Security, Vol. 12, No. 7, July 2014 which one or more SMS are sent to more than one user. 2) USSD Architecture This offers a better way of reaching out to more people at According to [13] The USSD architecture basically a time. comprises The network part that includes the Home Location D. Ad Register (HLR), Visitor Location Register (VLR), This is a term that is used to refer to Advertisement.