Indian mobile operator Tata Docomo has announced it is going to start charging customers by the character instead of billing for 160 characters like most other operators.
Tata Docomo said:
“The cost of any Diet-SMS will be only one paise per character used (100 paise= 1 rupee), thereby providing complete value to customers,
The company, frontrunner in the pay-per-use business model in the mobile telephony segment, will not charge for space between words.”
So the blank spaces are free!
Quite a innovative business model and could fit really well in poorer regions of India. Nice to see operators thinking of new ways of working.
[Via Textually]
In an effort to save the last 700 primates alive in the world, the Ugandan Wildlife Authority has come up with a cool viral marketing strategy.
At the end of the month the UWA plan to release the largest ever family of captive gorillas back into the wild.
In an effort to raise funds and create awareness users of Facebook and Twitter will be able to ‘friend’ a gorilla and watch live footage of the animals eating and trekking through the terrain as well as new births. All this is possible via geo-tracking and GPS technology.
The Ugandan National Park has 340 of the estimated 700 remaining gorillas worldwide so more publicity could not only help generate donations but also attract tourism.
This sounds interesting as the wording used in the press release indicates that it’s not just going to be another fan page but an actual profile. It’s also pretty cool you can track the gorillas in real time.
Can’t wait to see the news feed update of ‘Mr Gorilla….is no longer listed in a relationship’
[Via Yahoo News]
How do you help villagers in rural India and Uganda gain the benefits of the Internet when there are no telephone cables, computers … or knowledge of what the Internet is?
Non-profit organisation Open Mind has come up with the answer, it’s called Question Box and the first one has been installed in India, near New Delhi.
The way it works is simple, villagers press the green button on the box to be connected to a trained operator who will answer their question by searching the Internet for answers. Imagine how AQA would be if it were done over the phone. Read More
Google has launched a number of SMS based search and trade services for the African market this week with Uganda being the first to have it available.
In developing countries such as Uganda many people have cellphones and no computers (mobile phone penetration is six times Internet penetration) meaning that the phone is their only source for information. In Africa, one-third of the population owns a mobile phone and many more have access to one.
The reason for using SMS is simple, the majority of phones are low-end and only have the capability of voice and SMS which means the usual methods of searching for information need to be rethought.
The services available are (these links have working demos online, try them out!!):
Google SMS Search – Text your search query to Google and get back information
Google SMS Trader - An SMS marketplace where buyers and sellers can interact
Google SMS Tips is a query and answer service which includes the following
Google SMS Health Tips
Find tips on sexual & reproductive health (family planning, maternal & child health, HIV/AIDS, STI/STDs, sexuality)
Google SMS: ClinicFinder
Use ClinicFinder to find a clinic near you, the clinic’s telephone number and services offered.
Google SMS: Farmer’s Friend
Get access to weather forecasts and critical agriculture information, such as tips on planting, pest management and disease control.(Targeted at farmers to help improve their livelihood)
Understanding the day to day needs of the people using these phones is just as important as developing the technology. Read More
How To Spread Fear About Google In Less Than 3 Minutes 
