News

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  SMS a killer app at 20; irrelevant at 25?

  The first SMS-capable mobile phones were approved for sale in Europe 20 years ago this month. By any measure, SMS has become a huge success, at least for the telephone companies, with more than 6 trillion SMS messages sent worldwide in 2010, generating more than $110 billion in revenue. But the future may not be anywhere near as bright because of increasing use of "free" Internet-based services such as Facebook, Apple's iMessage and WhatsApp.com.

  By Scott Bradner | 15 May, 2012 05:26

  Tags: wireless, WhatsApp.com, WhatsApp, unified communications, sms, networking, mobile apps, LAN & WAN, Facebook, Apple iMessage, Apple

• Mobile Premium Services Code targets misleading SMS adverts

  The introduction of the Communications Alliance’s Mobile Premium Services (MPS) Code is intended to eliminate misleading premium rate SMS and MMS service advertisements.

  By Hamish Barwick | 01 March, 2012 12:18

  Tags: ACMA, mobile premium services, MPS Code, sms

• Telstra boosts text and data quotas

  Australian ISP Telstra (ASX:TLS) has pumped up its prepaid text and data quotas following demand from customers, but has increased call connection fees and SMS costs.

  By Chloe Herrick | 22 June, 2011 10:08

  Tags: ASX:TLS, data quota, mobile, sms, Telstra, text

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  Mobile banking migration hits speed bumps

  The lack of competition among the big four banks is slowing the development of mobile banking in Australia, IT experts say.

  By AAP | 08 June, 2011 09:15

  Tags: banks, Future of Banking and Financial Services conference, mobile banking, mobile services, mobility, NAB Ben Forsyth, NAB Mark Appleford, National Australia Bank (NAB), sms, text messaging

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  Server at fault for Telstra SMS outage

  Telstra (ASX:TLS) has blamed a server failure for intermittent issues with SMS messaging and some phone reception during a three-hour window on Wednesday night.

  By Computerworld Staff | 27 May, 2011 07:16

  Tags: mobile services, servers, sms, SMS outage, telcos, Telstra

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  SMS lotto scam hits WA

  West Australians have been alerted about a Powerball lottery scam circulating through mobile phone text messages.

  By AAP | 11 May, 2011 16:37

  Tags: fake texts, lottery, mobile, mobile phones, Powerball, scams, security, sms, texting, text messaging, Western Australia

• SMS and MMS to deliver government services

  The Queensland Government is to source SMS and MMS services as part of a new common use whole-of-government supply strategy.

  By Tim Lohman | 15 March, 2011 09:47

  Tags: messaging, mms, mobile, queensland government, sms, whole-of-government

• Hearing impaired cut off during Qld floods

  Hearing impaired people were unable to call a special emergency phone service at the height of the Queensland floods, a report has found.

  By AAP | 11 March, 2011 14:53

  Tags: Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN), hearing impaired, mobile, National Relay Service (NRS), Queensland floods, sms

• CostalWatch deploys SMS in emergency management strategy

  New mobile technology has been trialed by Queensland lifeguards as a means to source greater information on beach conditions up and down the state.

  By Lisa Banks | 13 October, 2010 14:56

  Tags: coastalcoms, mobile, sms

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  New Android malware texts premium-rate numbers

  Researchers at Russian security company Kaspersky Lab say they've discovered the first malicious software program to target Google's Android mobile operating system.

  By Jeremy Kirk | 12 August, 2010 04:35

  Tags: Android, applications, kaspersky lab, malware, mobile, Mobile operating systems, mobile security, security, sms, software, Telecommunication

• Google Voice: 10 Reasons to Check It Out

  Now that Google Voice is open to everybody in the U.S., small business owners, particularly those with less than 25 employees, should take a close look at Google's free phone management service. Here are ten good reasons why:

  By Jeff Bertolucci | 24 June, 2010 00:20

  Tags: Cell Phones, communications, consumer electronics, Google, internet, networking, Phones, services, sms, Telecommunication, text, voice, VoIP, web, wireless

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  Twitter acquires SMS specialist

  Twitter has acquired Cloudhopper, a provider of mobile phone text messaging infrastructure. Twitter hopes to use the company's expertise to improve the scalability and reach of its SMS (Short Message Service) service, according to a Twitter blog post.

  By Mikael Ricknäs | 27 April, 2010 06:20

  Tags: mergers & acquisitions, sms, twitter

• Text donations for Haiti relief spur nonprofits to follow suit

  Nonprofit groups desperate to raise donations during the economic downturn are considering text-to-donate campaigns similar to the wildly successful American Red Cross texting effort for Haiti earthquake relief.

  By Matt Hamblen | 23 February, 2010 09:28

  Tags: Haiti, mobile phones, sms

• China restores text messaging in cut-off Muslim region

  China has restored mobile text message services in a Western province where they were suspended for months following unrest. Limited Internet access is also returning to the region.

  By Owen Fletcher | 19 January, 2010 08:18

  Tags: China, sms, SMS service, telecommunications

• Text donations for Haiti earthquake overwhelm Red Cross

  Text donations to Haiti earthquake relief may not constitute a miracle, but the American Red Cross says it is overwhelmed by the millions of US$10 gifts it has received via mobile phone texting.

  By Matt Hamblen | 16 January, 2010 09:56

  Tags: mobile phones, Red Cross, sms