ICE Virus Spreads Around the World

No, this isn't another mobile virus story (or non-story as most of them turn out to be), but an IdeaVirus, as Seth Godin likes to call them.

East Anglian Ambulance Service paramedic, Bob Brotchie, had an idea last May to use mobile phones to help identify accident victims (not necessarily fatal ones, in every case). While people may forget their driver's licence, Passport, ID Card - or even their wallet - they rarely leave their mobile phone behind.

So the idea is to create a new entry in your address book, under ICE (In Case of Emergency), followed by your next of kin's contact details. Then, if you are involved in something nasty, the authorities know who to call.

Like many IdeaViruses, this one started slowly, which is a nice way of saying that the vast majority of people and the media ignored it. Maybe a few people thought it was a good idea, but like an organ donor card, didn't get around to doing anything about it and certainly weren't rushing to tell their friends.

And then, the spark arrived to ignite the IdeaVirus engine, in the form of last Thursday's terrorist incident in London. Since then, it's been picked up by major media organisations, bloggers and tens of thousands of emails around the world.

Nothing is quite as powerful as an idea whose time has come.

And don't forget to spread to word.

Comments

[Phil Bridges]

Today I spotted there was a second email going around saying the first is a spoof, and in fact ICE is the first part of two stage mobile phone virus... zzzzz. Obviously the second email is actually the spoof. There are some really SAD SICK people out there eh..

[Phil Bridges]

Today I spotted there was a second email going around saying the first is a spoof, and in fact ICE is the first part of two stage mobile phone virus... zzzzz. Obviously the second email is actually the spoof. There are some really SAD SICK people out there eh..