With each passing day the world is getting smaller - the Internet community grows, and every new service that sees the bit and byte stream of this global network is a step closer to a global community where products and services gets so much easier to obtain. Enter Inter Centre Exchange. For short, ICE-IT. ICE-IT (www.ice-it.co.za) is an initiative to mimic the way E-Mail works in the real life. By registering as an ICE-IT client (via the Internet, the main focus, or by phoning the hotline or stepping into an ICE-IT kiosk), you can obtain an ICE-IT number that is yours for life! No matter where you go (in South Africa at present), the number can follow you. So, instead of giving your full contact information (address, telephone numbers and personal detail), you now only need specify your ICE-IT number.
Other advantages include an easy way to get your courier while on vacation by using the "Follow Me" address (which includes a date constraint for the ease of planning your whereabouts in advance), getting discounts on the courier service, and getting an ICE-IT box at your nearest ICE-IT kiosk. It is even possible to become an ICE-IT agent and earn money.
A special feature that will be introduced is a mapping capability (www.netmap.co.za). The possibilities of functionality are infinite! Clients can find other clients on the map, locate themselves, find their nearest kiosk, find out information about ICE-IT kiosk at places where they intend to go on holiday, etc. N.E.T. Group of companies (www.netgroup.co.za) was contacted to do the consulting and Internet development for the ICE-IT group. A partnership was formed and the project not only included the thin client computer system and database design and hosting, but setting up an ICE-IT call centre, enabling kiosks (supplying them with software and hardware infrastructure) and doing the digital transactions via the Internet (e-commerce and courier service interactions).
In the planned 4 phases of the software development, the first 2 phases are underway and should see the light (of the Internet) in the next month. A full-featured system (ICE-IT running on N.E.T. Group developed Technology) will follow soon afterwards.
The rollout of the Kiosks is unstoppable. A spiral development policy will be followed whereby additional features and functionality will be added on an ongoing basis.
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