Ateneo de Zamboanga is 7th SWEEP Awards finalist

For the second straight year, a team from Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU) has made it to the finals of the SWEEP Innovation and Excellence Awards, Smart Communications, Inc.’s (Smart) annual search for the most innovative wireless solutions to address concerns of the community.

The Ateneo de Zamboanga University team (from left) faculty mentor Louie Virgil Gallardo,
Christian Rome Jalon, Abdullah Hussin, Moh. Gaffar Jalali, Seth Ryan Delos Reyes and Imee Joy Lim.

“We were jumping with joy when we learned that our ALR System was short-listed,” says team leader Seth Ryan N. Delos Reyes, a fifth year BS-CoE student.

The ALR System stands for “Automated Load Retailer System”, a public device that automatically reloads cell phones anywhere and anytime. It is among the top ten wireless applications chosen from a total of 133 entered in the 7th SWEEP Awards.

AdZU’s entry aims to address the problem regarding the availability of load retailers.

“Imagine arriving at the airport or seaport at 3am. The person supposed to pick you up is nowhere to be found. You try calling him but you’re out of load. You look for a load retailer but the stores selling eload or card loads are still closed. So you end up waiting for the store to open, or wait for your sundo to call you,” cites Delos Reyes.

The team’s ALR System makes cell phone loading available to the public 24 hours a day. The system can be conveniently located anywhere and can be as common as a telephone booth or an ATM station. And since it is automated, there’s no need for an operator.

“Our system consists of an ALR System station that loads the client’s cell phone and accepts coins as payments; an ALR System server that controls and monitors the transactions of the ALR System station client modules; and a credit system module that allows consumers to acquire load through credit,” explains team spokesperson Christian Rome C. Jalon, fifth year BS-ECE.

In order for their system to be fully functional, the AdZU team consulted with Smart’s Marketing Group for information on selling electronic load which is the main purpose of the ALR System.

“We wanted to improve lives in our community by developing an application that provides a better way of implementing some of the basic things that we do, such as e-load retailing. Through the SWEEP Awards, Smart has given us an opportunity to do just that,” says Delos Reyes.

For the past seven years, Smart has been challenging its partner schools under the Smart Wireless Engineering Education Program (SWEEP) to use their knowledge and skills in coming up with wireless applications that address actual problems in their respective communities.

This year’s competition is themed ““Empowering Communities through Wireless Technologies”. The top three winning teams will be awarded cash prizes, with corresponding grants for their schools. First prize is P500,000; second prize, P300,000; and third prize, P150,000.

AdZU hopes to make it to the top three this time.

The team, which enjoys the support of their entire school led by AdZU President Fr. Antonio F. Moreno, S.J., is busy developing the prototype of their ALR System in time for the final judging and presentation slated in March, 2011.

Other members of the group from AdZU are team manager Abdullah A. Hussin, fifth year BS-CoE; Moh. Gaffar B. Jalali, fifth year BS-CoE; Imee Joy A. Lim, fifth year BS-ECE; and teacher-mentor Louie Virgil A. Gallardo.

(Published 13 December 2010, Smart Communications, Inc.)