Finalist category: BT Ingenious Award 2015
#T4Gwhat3words
Ingenious Award, Winner, 2015
Around 75% of the world suffers from inadequate addressing systems – around 4 billion people. An address means that people can receive vital deliveries and aid, disease can be reported and basic human rights can be exercised, all because they have a simple way to communicate where they live.
what3words from The Creative Grid on Vimeo.
A London-based startup of eight people, what3words has divided the world into a grid of 3m x 3m squares, and given each one a fixed and unique 3 word address.
Why three words? They’re significantly more memorable than the equivalent alphanumeric characters, or lat/long coordinates required to define the same location. It’s also much easier to say.
Founded in July 2013, w3w started out as an app and website, before releasing an online API in November 2013, and offline SDK in October 2014. In February 2015 an autosuggest error detection and offline navigation functionality was added, and next to come is voice recognition.
Available in eight languages, the group are currently testing Swahili, Greek and Arabic, and are looking to improve customer experience for mapping, navigation, travel and sports business, drive efficiencies for delivery and logistics companies, enable growth for e-commerce and banking entities and improve lives through government, NGOs and charitable organisations.
Visit the what3words website for more information.
