True is when they say, “Necessity is the mother of invention”. In the Indian startup space, Innoz is a perfect example. While countries like South Korea is going 5G we are still fighting pending legal battles over 2G.
With the number of mobile subscriptions steadily approaching the billionth mark, India is still a disconnected country in terms of mobile internet penetration. While studies suggest steady growth in this sector, the penetration of the network still averages around the lower teens in population percentage.
Although, for most, this sounds a little discomforting, founders of Innoz found an opportunity in scarcity. The number of mobile users without access to internet. The figure is a substantial, thanks to the billion strong Indian population. While searching still associates an idea of being online, Innoz came out with a way to provide Google like experience for million strong mobile subscribers who are yet to enjoy the gift of internet connectivity.
A few words of introduction. Innoz is the search without-the-internet or to be exact with-the-SMS. It enables any mobile user to search for any information by sending a SMS to 55444. Any SMS that you send needs to have a hashtag identifier which tells the system what kind of info you want. An example search would be #ire pnr:[PNR number], which returns your current PNR status with Indian Railways.
Whether or not you own a smartphone, or use an internet connection on it, I can bet most of us face disconnection from internet every now and then, given the bad reception or simply no internet reception at all. Blame it on the outdated technology or simply the geographical vastness to cover, we are often at the mercy of just a cell connection.
So here is a list of Innoz # codes that are worth remembering.
Contents
#know
The Wolfram Alpha of SMS. The computational search with your SMS. Ask whatever you feel compelled about. More info.
#ire
Something that has touched almost everyone in India is the Indian Railways. From PNR status to seat availability this # search will tell you everything. More info here.
#letsgo
The unofficial IXIGO service with SMS. More info.
#ycrick
Cricket is a religion in India and has millions of die-hard followers. If you are one of those and are stuck in daily commute missing your favorite match, this is something you’ll love. More Info.
#nearby
Looking for amusement options nearby. Try this one. More info.
#Owlskitchen
Got home late? No place to eat? 9PM to 4AM food delivery. You might find some luck here. More Info.
#alongtheway
Order food on a journey. Get your food delivered right at your seat. This is real handy in the remote locations the railways run. More info.
#email or #easymail
That’s Gmail with SMS. Yeah just like it says, you can send an email with SMS. A quick email to boss that you’ll be late can be a perfect excuse. More info. Also try #easymail
#preg
If you live in a rural place where internet connection is yet to reach, this is an absolute good one to have for your pregnant wife or any woman you know. It helps you to stay updated about what test to take and when to take. All you need to do is SMS the expected delivery date to them. More here
#baby
Just let them know your kid’s birthday and the sms will notify you which vaccine to take and when to take. Good for rural and urban woman. More here
#mytrip
Get information about police, bank, hospitals in an area. More info.
#needblood
Does exactly what it says. If you are need of blood just send an sms with this code. You will get notified about the nearest blood banks. More info.
#raksha
The current state of crime in India is growing at a disturbing rate. If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, you will now have a place to ask for help. More info.
#safe
Worried about your child’s or loved ones’ safety? Save this code in their SMS draft, so you stay alerted at the hour of need. More info.
#getpolice
Want to book a complaint? Need to alert police? Find the nearest police station with this. More Info.
#stock
Are you a stock market junkie? Get the current status of the stocks and shares of the companies that you are interested in with #stock. More Info.
You can find a ton more at 55444.in app store. Although if you find it challenging to keep all this in your biological memory, I won’t be stunned in an age of digital memory. Take a little pain to note down the ones you feel you may need at times. It’s truly a groundbreaking innovation and if you still doubt its ability, let me get the facts straight. Innoz has won the Limca Book of Records for largest offline search engine.
Feel confident about it now? And don’t forget to list your favourite #codes in the comments below.
