Magtel’s R&D&I Division met with 16-year-old When & Where app owners to help develop it

Magtel’s R&D&I Division is cooperating with The LPSN Company to enhance their app When & Where, designed to make women feel safer on their way home.

Five secondary education students aged 16 from Mostoles, Madrid, lead this project assisted by two mentors. Mobile application When & Where is, as per specs on its download page, an innovative tool that provides more safety for women “when they are out running or strolling.” The app can detect abnormalities in the route if the user stops or does not get to their intended destination, and warns the designated emergency contact or emergency services. It also features a panic button that redirects straight to 112 should the user fail to reply.

According to the R&D&I Division, a pre-diagnosis on When & Where was followed by a discussion on whether some features of Fundación Magtel’s app Teleasistencia TIC++, developed by that very same division, should be reassigned to it. Fundación Magtel’s Teleasistencia TIC++ was designed to assist senior citizens and dependents using information and communication technologies (ICT).

At the meeting this week, Magtel suggested a number of improvements on the UI and modifications to speed up the app in case of emergency. For instance, adding a fast dial button for 112 without having to return to the main menu, auto-complete suggestions when searching for a location, or a tutorial popping up on the app on signup. The Telecommunications department also answered several queries raised by the students.

Initiative awarded by Fundación Magtel

The LPSN Company, made up of five secondary students from high school IES Velázquez, in Mostoles, Madrid, earned an award for social innovation at the 2nd Fundación Magtel Awards, held last December.

When & Where is a free application available for Android devices (soon to be available for iOS). The app features two modes depending on the situation the user is in and allows the storage of favourite routes, which can be taken at any time. It also has a button that redirects the user straight to emergency services should they ever be in danger. This practical, intuitive application is focused on providing security for women, but can also be used to help children or people with Alzheimer’s. It is privacy-friendly: users will at all times have control over their data. This app is intended to be provided free of charge without requiring mobile data.

At the strikingly early age of 16, and with the help of two mentors, these five students from Mostoles developed the app When & Where to provide women with security. The LPSN Company is made up of Lucía Adrián, Lucía Fernández, Paula Fernández, Sandra Caamaño, and Nuria Villoria. Their mentors are Cristina Márquez and Óscar Amador, PhD students at Madrid’s Universidad Carlos III.