Next in line is Outlook Mobile Service.

With the forthcoming release from Microsoft of Outlook 2010 they have made some enhancements to the SMS side of the product.

Naturally we’ve included the functionality into our service, had it checked, and approved by Microsoft. I think we are the 3^rd company in the world this time to get approval, (note to self, must be first next time).

So the improvements are thus:

• Support for concatenated SMS (long SMS).
• Outlook 2010 will have an object model available to developers allowing them to build applications on top of it.
• SMS functionality is extended to the alert feature in Sharepoint.
• There is now batch mode to help with Bulk SMS. In short, it will improve the speed of delivery of multiple SMS.

Admittedly they haven’t gone as far as we would have liked. We’d still like to see functionality to customize the originator from within Outlook, and perhaps a direct link to purchase more messages from your chosen SMS provider. The idea being that these improvements alone would mean users could manage most of the SMS aspects directly from Outlook without having to log into the web front end of the SMS provider.

For now Outlook 2010 is another giant leap in the right direction for PC originated SMS. Our customers who have adopted Outlook Mobile Service in version 2007 find the efficiency of sending SMS from their email software much more convenient than signing into a web application. We should see 2010 build on that convenience.

Now although this will slot into our fun category in the blog this is no light hearted event. It’s sponsored by LG and offers prize money of US$100,000. There are 26 competitors from 13 different countries competing in teams of two.

Korea were the eventual winners followed by USA and Argentina.

Portuguese competitor Pedro Mateus managed to break the world record of texting the standard English paragraph used to measure texting speed using a single thumb in less than 2 minutes.

The interesting stat is one of the USA contestants is quoted as having sent 16,000 text messages in a single month (circa 533 a day), before her parents instructed her to take this down to a mere 10,000.

Surely it can’t be long before texting is an Olympic sport?

So where does mobile come into this, there has to be some relevance to this blog?

In the infrequently asked questions Gates addresses the question, “should companies help the poor”.

The very obvious point he raises is that companies are there to build great products and sell them, and therefore only consumers that have money can buy them. Hence the poorest are excluded from the cycle and benefits that can be derived from the products.

He argues that companies should invest a proportion of their R&D into work that directly helps the poor, and derive the benefits that come from investing in lower cost models and markets.

So here’s the mobile link:

He suggests that communications companies could benefit by figuring out how the cell phone could help with health needs.

And there we are, he’s stepped on the holy grail of mobile. It’s an area that so far no one has successfully managed to figure out. Don’t believe me? Manchester University has even setup an M-Health Innovation Centre to act as the UK focus for such initiatives.

We are talking serious stuff here, helping people get better, improving lives. Forget all the premium rate muck that plagues the industry this is where we should be heading.

But the problem is healthcare is complex and longwinded, we all have different needs, differing ailments and issues.

Then you’ve got healthcare providers, government bodies who enshrouded themselves in an impenetrable layer of red tape.

We need to find a chink in the armour of bureaucracy, a way in. Perhaps someone who believes in the benefits so much that they help you unlock the door and guide you through the corridors to the right department.

And that’s what mediaburst have found, someone who understands what can be done with a mobile phone.

Someone who understands healthcare and can correlate the apparently unconnected.

Someone who’s drawn the parties together to collaborate and develop.

So watch this space, healthcare is coming to your mobile.

The jargon trap

We’ve liked all our previous websites but they have all been based on providing information on mobile technology. We’d fallen into the trap of using industry jargon and overcomplicating everything. This made it difficult for those new to mobile to understand our products. We’d used cliché photo’s of mobile phones and a site structure that didn’t lend itself to growth. Have a look here

So as well as making everything simpler and easy to understand, the key driver was to allow users to sign up and buy online. Such a radical change in direction for a website required a complete overhaul. The conundrum we faced was to retain all the useful information but create a site structure users could easily follow to the products they are interested in or obtain the information they are looking for.

The result

I think we’ve done this exceptionally well. The navigation into key products is easy, each product page contains links to relevant supplementary information, and pricing is crystal clear. Alongside this we’ve beefed up the blog and will use it to publish articles on how to get the most from mobile as well as company news and interesting facts and figures.

We’ve now got a dedicated section for agencies regarding mobile marketing. This area is small but crystal clear in what we are offering and how we can help agencies in the mobile marketing arena.

There is a dedicated customers section to showcase the brands using mediaburst and relevant case studies. Over the coming months we’ll be adding more content.

Significantly there is now a SMS API section. Not only does this contain the API code and samples but also an online signup mechanism and a showcase of products that are already using the API.

What do you think?

So there you have it, a new year, and a new site. It’s the most significant customer facing redesign we have ever made. It’s the culmination of 6 months of hard work, and we hope you like it?

Beyond the visual

Over the past 6 months we’ve really got into User Interface design. We’ve gone beyond visual appearance to understand how our products are used and how we can help users get more out of them.

This revamp of textburst has led to an interface that is built around the most used functionality.  We didn’t want to cram in tonnes of new but unused functionality. If we did that we’d create an unusable monster. We are all busy people these days and so simple interfaces help us quickly benefit from the tool we are using.

Oh, an on the visual appearance, we couldn’t help but apply some polish, it needed it!

Improvements

So what have we done?

The menu system is paired down to the key functions and logically structured. We’ve included a hot link to the send message page and tips on how to get the most from the product.

We’ve streamlined the Account Setting and Options to put the various features under logical headings that are easily understandable and configurable.

Uploading contacts in now streamlined and you can continue using the product while the upload processes.

Due to popular demand we no longer log you out after 20 minutes of inactivity. Once you have logged on in we’ll remember for up to 8 hours.

A significant difference is the elimination of a user guide. Instead we’ve included instructional micro-copy to guide users through the product. This is much a change in company ethos as an elimination of a user guide. This decision is about being honest with our self. Users don’t want to trawl through instruction books, they want something they can use instantly. The theory is, if you need a guide to get started on our products, then it’s us who’ve designed them wrong.

So if you see something you don’t understand, tell us, we’ll look at it and make it understandable.

More of an internal factor is that we’ve consolidated various web applications (Web SMS, Promobi, textburst) into a single product, still called textburst. With a single web application with harmonised price plans it’ll make support more consistent and upgrades both easier and offered to all users.

Grand designs

So as you’ll see this isn’t Changing Rooms slapping a quick coat of paint on. It’s more like Grand Designs building something for the future that goes beyond the visual appearance to consider how you use the end product.

We’re confident you’ll like it, so take a look around and let us know what you think?

The service, powered by O2 and Mediaburst Ltd, will allow lettings agents to contact large numbers of tenants, potential tenants, contractors, suppliers and landlords at the click of a button through the GEMINI software.

Peter Grant, Managing Director of VTUK said, “Working with O2 and Mediaburst, we have found ways to not only improve and streamline the SMS service, but to make it cheaper too. Using text messaging, agents can contact landlords, keeping them up to date with property and tenant information, as well as using it to contact their supply chain, tenants and potential tenants looking for a home.

“Everyone has a mobile phone these days, and using the SMS service is easy, cost-effective way of getting an instant message to virtually anyone you want to, about anything.

“We are constantly looking for ways to improve our software, and we wanted to make our SMS service more streamlined, easier and cost-effective for agents. We are committed to providing our customers with a service that is second-to-none, and this new service, on top of our recent ancillary services offering, will help to make business easier and more profitable for our customers.”

Launched in July this year, VTUK’s ancillary services offering, is a one stop shop for all services required to let or sell property, allowing agents to order EPCs, floorplans, inventories, gas and electricity safety checks, insurance, referencing services, utility services (gas, electricity, water and council tax notification) and much more from a single web portal. The ancillary services portal is unique, simple, saves time and can earn agents money on each order placed.

O2 is the UK’s most popular mobile phone network. Mediaburst is an award-winning mobile marketing company, specialising in providing SMS messaging facilities for businesses, software developers, and network operators.

Over the past year Mediaburst have been migrating customers smoothly to the improved platform. Once migrated customers benefit from significantly higher message throughput and complete resilience.

With no single point of failure, multiple sites, multiple supply routes, and multiple backups there is no safer route for corporate SMS or MMS communication.

The platform also provides detailed and faster month end billing. Invoices are now distributed in a matter of days after month end with unsurpassed accuracy.

Mediaburst MD Gary comments, “Over the last few years we have seen SMS and MMS message volumes increase by over 300%, and it’s not stopping. To align with business growth we have focused on delivering a high capacity platform that is infinitely scalable. Today marks the day where all our clients benefit from this investment”.

This comprehensive guide will be of interest to not only brands but agencies interested in bringing rich format mobile communication into their strategy.

As well as covering user experience and MMS elements, the guide also provides an insight into the current MMS market, citing some important case studies from BMW and the latest iphone.

Mediaburst have been ahead of the trend, having launched MMS onto their second generation mobile platform at the beginning of 2009. By providing simple applications such as email to MMS and an easy to implement MMS Gateway, rich format messaging is now a real option.

Get your copy of the guide here.

Burma is a nation of fear and poverty despite its wealth of natural resources. Its rulers are intolerant of free speech and many of the journalists and activists shown in the award-winning Burma VJ film face prison sentences of up to 65 years.

The individuals imprisoned include Htin Kyaw, Su Su Nway, Ohn Than, Si Thu Maung and Ko Win Maw together with over 2,100 others in Burmese jails including Nobel Peace Prize Winner Aung San Suu Kyi, who have been imprisoned simply for peacefully calling for democracy and freedom in the country.

The Co-operative does not trade with Burma, Co-operative Travel has delisted the country as a tourist destination, and The Co-operative Bank will not finance any organisation supporting the Burmese regime.

The digital campaign is being delivered by digital marketing agency Substance of “Shine a Light” fame, supported by mobile messaging company Mediaburst.

Gary Bury, Mediaburst’s managing director, comments:

“Clearly, Mediaburst is pleased to be working with Substance and The Co-operative on this campaign, which represents yet another innovative use of mobiles to generate response and interaction from the general public.”

Since 2000, Promptext has been providing text messaging services to Britain’s SMEs. With Mediaburst launching new products such as Outlook Mobile Service and MMS, the acquisition of Promptext’s customer base makes commercial sense.

“The acquisition of Promptext’s UK customer base is a significant development for Mediaburst and demonstrates our ability to plug-in additional customers and consolidate mobile messaging volumes,” says Gary, Mediaburst’s managing director. “Promptext customers now have access to an enlarged product range and to first class customer services and support.”

Robert Ling, founder of Promptext, adds: “Promptext is a profitable business and has grown well in the UK, we now feel that we can better serve our customers by passing them into the very capable hands of Mediaburst. It has possibly the finest set of SMS and MMS services available, and an exemplary reputation for customer support and service.”

“We have worked hard to identify a suitable acquisition for Mediaburst,” says Ian Freeman, managing director of Harlequin Corporate Finance. “Promptext met the criteria agreed with Mediaburst and I am convinced that the transaction will benefit customers of Promptext and add real value for Mediaburst’s shareholders”

www.promptext.co.uk