SMS

Cincinnati Bell Wireless pushes family plans for smartphones

Jim Barthold — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 01:30:39 -0400

The smartphone, once the must-have gadget for the well-equipped business person, is now so passé that Cincinnati Bell Wireless is offering a "family plan" for families with two or more BlackBerry-like devices.

Probably the first wireless carrier that's gone out of its way to link family members through smartphones, the carrier's offering combines a standard voice plan, unlimited data and text messaging options into one plan starting at $30 a month for the first data user and $15 for every user after that.

And who said teens only want iPhones? Now they can have Crackberries just like the big boys and girls.

For more:
- see this article

Related stories:
The 5 Top Selling Smartphones
Americans use their smartphones for Web browsing

Interop launches SMS technology that handles 36,000 texts per second

Phil Goldstein — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:38:03 -0400

Interop Technologies, a provider of wireless technology solutions, has launched a new SMS routing system with a throughput that can handle up to 36,000 text message delivery attempts per second.

The new technology, which Interop said has been adopted by Pine Cellular, a local carrier in Oklahoma, comes as SMS traffic is increasing rapidly, putting even greater demands on SMS Centers to (SMSCs) to handle the demand for reliable text message transmission.

For more:
- see these press releases

Obama text message promise proves unworkable

Sue Marek — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:19:02 -0400

Sen. Barack Obama's promise to supporters that they would be the first to know of his vice presidential running mate via text messaging turned out to be a bit of an ambitious promise. The Democratic presidential candidate got scooped by the media on his own announcement.

Late Friday the national networks started naming Sen. Joseph Biden as Obama's pick but the Obama campaign didn't dispatch the text message to Obama supporters until 3 a.m. EST Saturday. Some received the message right away, but some messages were delayed for a few hours. Neither Obama's camp nor Distributive Networks, the Washington, D.C.-based firm that facilitated the text campaign, will reveal how many text messages were sent to supporters notifying them of the Democratic candidate's VP choice.

Obama's plan to use text messaging to announce his choice was a first in politics. He had promised supporters that by providing cell phone numbers and e-mail addresses they would be the first to hear the news of his choice for vice president.

For more:
See this Associated Press story

Related stories:
Obama dominates mobile web searches
Obama introduces text-messaging initiative

Canadian operators sued over text message fees

Sue Marek — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:29:03 -0400

Canadian operators Telus and Bell Mobility are being sued by consumers for charging for incoming text messages. The operators had not been charging for incoming SMS but recently announced that they would start charging 15 cents per incoming text, regardless of whether the SMS was spam. Outraged consumers have filed suit saying that they think the actions are illegal because they change the terms of the cellular contract. Article

Judge says SMS lawsuit against T-Mobile USA can proceed

Lynnette Luna — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:52:01 -0400

A federal judge said a class-action lawsuit against T-Mobile USA over texting can proceed. The lawsuit was filed by subscribers who claim to have been charged for text messages even though they do not want the feature. The subscribers claim that T-Mobile should disable SMS features for those who do not wish to use SMS or receive texts at all.

T-Mobile noted that the lawsuit only moved ahead based on an early procedural motion rather than merits of the case, and noted that customers have options to disable text messaging on their phones if they are receiving unsolicited messages.

In a statement published in RCR Wireless News, T-Mobile said it "is committed to providing the best customer experience in wireless and does offer customers the ability to block chargeable text messages, MMS, IM and email from being sent to their handsets at no additional charge. Customers can contact Customer Care or a retail sales representative for assistance and soon will be able to help themselves with tools on www.myt-mobile.com. T-Mobile also has extensive filters built into the network to help detect and block spam text messages being sent to customer's handsets that originate from Internet IP addresses. These filters are updated on an ongoing basis, including monitoring for newly emerging schemes."

For more:
- read RCR Wireless News

Related story:
T-Mobile USA faces SMS lawsuit. T-Mobile story

Police want tipsters to text in crimes

Sue Marek — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:03:37 -0400

The popularity of text messaging among teens and 20-somethings is giving police a new outlet for anonymous tipsters. Instead of dialing CrimeStoppers, tipsters can text their information to police in about 100 cities nationwide. Tipsters can send the text, which is routed through a server and encrypted so that the tip is impossible to track. Boston police, who adopted the system last year, have received 678 text tips. Article

"American Idol" generates 78 million SMS messages

Sue Marek — Fri, 23 May 2008 10:24:25 -0400

AT&T is touting its text messaging traffic surge generated by "American Idol" fans who used their cell phones to vote for their pick. This season's show generated more than 78 million text messages for AT&T, which is the exclusive sponsor of the show. During the previous season, the show generated 64.5 million text messages. The carrier added new elements to this year's contest by using text messaging to inform the final three contestants of the Producer's Choice selection via their Apple iPhones.

Not to be outdone by its competitor, Verizon Wireless decided to promote its text messaging volumes today. The carrier announced that it delivered 58 billion text messages during the first quarter of 2008.

For more:
- see this release
- see this Verizon statement

Related stories:
AT&T tunes up for another season of Idol. See this AT&T story.
American Idol sets SMS record. See this AT&T story.

Cricket adds features to unlimited plans

Brian Dolan — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:59:14 -0400

Leap subsidiary, Cricket Communications has updated its flat-rate, unlimited service plans with additional features and minutes. The more expensive service plans ($40-$60) will now include unlimited text messaging to Mexico, which was previously a feature offered a la carte. The carrier also added unlimited Mobile Web browsing to its $45 plan and an extra bundle of 30 nationwide roaming minutes to the $50 plan. Cricket is now including Caller ID in all its service plans, too. Cricket is also adding a new $30 service plan to its lineup that includes unlimited minutes with an option to tag on text messaging or the Mobile Web.

For more:
- read Cricket's new service plans release

ALSO NOTED: Nokia to enhance MyFaves; ROK buys Jalipo; and much more...

Tue, 06 May 2008 06:59:50 -0400

> How Nokia's deal with T-Mobile will shape the future of MyFaves.

> Nokia releases Snap Mobile SDK 2.0.

> ROK Entertainment buys Jalipo.

And Finally... The Houston Zoo had to bring in the FBI after a text prank jammed its switchboard with thousands of calls per day. Callers were instructed via SMS spam to call the zoo and ask to speak to "Mr. G. Raff" and other animal-themed names. Article

Orange: Texting is for old people

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 06:59:54 -0400

Recent research conducted by TNS and sponsored by U.K. carrier Orange indicates that mobile users who adopt mobile instant messaging services subsequently reduce their use of SMS. Orange noted that older people still use text messaging even once they begin to use mobile IM. According to the report 38 out of every 100 messages (which include email, texts and picture messages) sent by users with no access to mobile IM are text messages. When those users gain access to mobile IM the figure drops to 23 text messages out of 100 messages.

For more on the study:
- read this article from Textually.org

AT&T adds 1.3 mil subscribers in 1Q

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 06:59:58 -0400

AT&T reported its seventh consecutive quarter of wireless revenue growth. Revenue's from the telco's wireless business were up 18.3 percent year-over-year for a total of $11.8 billion. Here's a rundown of the largest U.S. operator's key metrics for first quarter:

ARPU: Average revenue per user was $50.18 up 2 percent from the year-ago quarter. Retail postpaid ARPU growth was up 5 percent.

Data: Data revenues were up 57.3 percent to $2.3 billion from the year-earlier quarter. Data now represents 21.5 percent of AT&T's total wireless revenues, up from 16 percent in first quarter 2007. During first quarter customers sent 620 million MMS messages and 44 billion SMS messages.

3G: 11 million customers now have 3G devices. The company's UMTS/HSDPA network is available in 272 metro areas.

700 MHz spectrum: AT&T executives said that based upon the company's purchase of the 700 MHz spectrum assets of Aloha Wireless and its winnings in the 700 MHz spectrum auction, AT&T will have contiguous and unencumbered spectrum that will cover 100 percent of the top 200 markets and 80 percent of the U.S. population.

iPhone: iPhone continues to be popular with AT&T customers. Executives said during this morning's call with investors that the average iPhone ARPUs are in the mid to upper $90 range. More than 40 percent of the customers that purchase an iPhone are new to AT&T.

Unlimited plans: Prior to debuting its $99/mo. unlimited rate plan about 1.5 percent of new customers would sign up for rate plans at $99/mo. or above. Now about 4 percent sign up for the $99/mo. rate plan.

For more, see AT&T's earnings release.

Related stories:
AT&T to layoff 1.5 percent of employees. See this AT&T report
AT&T: 95% of iPhone owners surf the mobile web. See this AT&T story
AT&T, T-Mobile match VZW on flat rate, sort of. Read this AT&T report

SPOTLIGHT: Trend: Mobiles still killing R grammar

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 06:59:52 -0400

According to a report in the Economist, the advent of the mobile phone is taking a real toll on our culture. Not only is SMS shaking the grammar guards but the ability to communicate from anywhere at anytime has created a society of nomads who are convinced they don't have time to think or care. Speed alone matters. Article

SPOTLIGHT: Alltel's text-to-landline service launches

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 06:59:52 -0400

Messaging services provider Messaging International announced that its TeleMessage subsidiary inked a deal with Alltel Wireless to launch its Text-to-Landline application across the operator's network. Text-to-Landline enables Alltel subscribers to send text messages from their wireless handset to any landline phone--each SMS is converted to voice for landline recipients, and their voice response is converted back to text for wireless users. Article

ALSO NOTED: Measuring mobile marketing; Virgin inks a deal with Limbo; and much more...

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 06:59:50 -0400

> Forecast: Full-track mobile revenues to hit $4.2 billion by 2012. Article

> How should we measure mobile marketing? Article

> Virgin Mobile USA inks a deal with Limbo for SMS blasts about interactive programming. Article

> Garmin adds mobile TV service to its GPS device. Article

And Finally... Shortly after formally launching its N-Gage platform, Nokia launched a worldwide Mobile Games Innovations Challenge. Article

TCS adds SMS capabilities

Mike Dolan — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 15:06:11 -0400

TCS is enhancing SMS capabilities by adding LBS messaging to its portfolio. The company, which claims it handles 30 percent of U.S. messaging traffic, now supports banner ads in text messaging. Wireless carriers can establish co-marketing agreements with organizations that want to market directly to consumers. "This is a marketing tool for operators," said Tim Lorello, senior vice president of sales and CMO for TCS in an interview with FierceWireless. The company ensures that the advertising is opt-in and also adds anti-spam protections. However, Lorello adds that the company is not trying to be a brand aggregator. "We will work on behalf of brand aggregators."

ALSO NOTED: LIMO OS; U.S. Cellular's new Q; and much more...

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 07:59:50 -0400

> LIMO Foundation ready with mobile Linux OS. Article

> U.S. Cellular offers the Motorola Q9c in two colors. Article

> Mobile phones cut into China Telecom's profits. Article

And Finally... Is text messaging a threat to the arranged marriage in India? Article

SPOTLIGHT: Kodiak goes clientless

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 07:59:52 -0400

Kodiak Networks, maker of a push to talk platform used by operators such as AT&T, Alltel, CelllarSouth and others, has developed a clientless solution that will let operators significantly increase the potential addressable market for their PTT application. Basically, the originator of the call can assign a telephone number to a group of individuals who can then use that for conferencing, text messaging and voice messaging. They can initiate calls with each other without requiring all the parties to have a PTT-capable phone. "We can now reach 100 percent of the addressable market," Bruce Lawlor said in an interview with FierceWireless. "We make it easy for the operator to market the product to everyone and upsell client applications for those power users." Release

SpinVox raises $100M from Goldman, no IPO

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 07:59:56 -0400

Despite recent rumors that voicemail-to-text firm SpinVox had tapped Goldman Sachs to pursue an initial public offering for the company, SpinVox announced today that it had raised more than $100 million in funding from Goldman Sachs Group and other institutional investors. SpinVox said it has no plans at this time for an IPO. The funding round brings SpinVox's valuation up to more than $500 million, according to CEO and co-founder Christina Domecq. The company plans to use the money to increase presence in North America and expand its services to include more languages.

For more on SpinVox's funding news:
- read this press release

Related Articles:
On the Hot Seat with SpinVox CEO Christina Domecq Interview
Alltel adds SpinVox to its offerings Article
Jim Kirkland joins SpinVox as director of corporate development and M&A Article

Spinvox considers IPO

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 07:59:56 -0400

Spinvox, the company that converts voicemails into text messages, is once again pursuing an initial public offering (IPO) or other fundraising options. The company has hired Goldman Sachs to handle the potential IPO. Spinvox launched in 2003 and now serves users in seven different countries. It expects to hit 30 million users by year-end. The business is reportedly worth about $400 million. Spinvox hopes to achieve similar success to its rival Nuance Communications, which is currently listed on Nasdaq and worth $3.6 billion. Spinvox's CEO Christina Domecq said teased the idea of an IPO last August. The company also considered an IPO in 2006 but dropped its plans.

For more on Spinvox's plans:
- read this article from the Times Online

"Simply Everything" is no Digital One Rate

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 06:59:59 -0500

Ã‚Â

"Simply Everything" is no Digital One Rate Ã‚Â

Yesterday Sprint Nextel CEO Dan Hesse painted a bleak picture for investors about the possibility of a quick turnaround for the company. He frankly admitted that the troubles at Sprint were "more difficult than what I had expected."

Hesse talked extensively about how the operator needs to focus on the customer experience and rebuild its brand to improve perception. The first step is the launch of the "Simply Everything" plan, where for $100 per month customers will get unlimited voice and data access, including text messaging, mobile TV, email and push to talk.

While this new plan is significant, I feel like Verizon Wireless, AT&T and T-Mobile USA stole Sprint's thunder by coming out with unlimited voice plans (or in T-Mobile USA's case, unlimited voice and text messaging) on Feb. 19.

I couldn't help feeling sorry for Hesse as I listened to yesterday's earnings call. Like an aging athlete that keeps referring to his glory days on the football field or basketball court, Hesse kept talking about his past experience at AT&T Wireless when in 1998 the company launched the Digital One Rate plan. The Digital One Rate plan was revolutionary because it, for the first time, bundled long distance and roaming fees into a simple airtime minute equation that we all take for granted today. The Digital One Rate plan was largely credited with driving a whole new wave of wireless adoption by consumers in the late 1990s.

Sure, Digital One Rate was a huge step for the industry, but to compare Sprint's Simply Everything plan with Digital One Rate is a stretch. While I commend Sprint for bundling unlimited voice and data into one package, I think they are also taking a big risk. We know that offering consumers unlimited data can be a dangerous equation. Verizon learned this the hard way when certain customers started taxing its network by downloading huge amounts of data. Verizon has since scaled back and its new BroadbandAccess plans, available on March 2, will offer customers monthly data plan options of 50 MB data usage for $39.99 or 5 GB data usage for $59.99.

Perhaps Sprint will be able to poach some of Verizon Wireless' and AT&T Mobility customers because of its unlimited data usage. But I'm not sure that Sprint will benefit from attracting these customers. Maybe Sprint plans to lure those big data users to its WiMAX network Xohm, when it becomes commercially available later this year. Nevertheless, Simply Everything is not the next Digital One Rate and Hesse needs to quit referring to his 1998 glory days at AT&T and instead focus on what he can do to get Sprint back in the game in 2008. -SueÃ‚Â

P.S. Don't forget to join me next Wednesday, March 5 at 2 p.m. EST for a Webinar on "Mobile Broadband and the 4G Roadmap." I've got some great guests including Ali Tabassi, vice president, technology development at Sprint Nextel, Arun Bhikshesvaran, CTO and vice president strategy and marketing at Ericsson, and Peter Jarich, research director at Current Analysis.Ã‚Â Register here.