Now SMS in local language with IMImobile's app

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Mobile value added service provider IMImobile Monday launched a free of cost download mobile application "My SMS" which would allow customers to access the content of SMS in their local language, specially on low-end mobile phones.

To begin with, the service is available in eight languages, English, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Gujarati, Marathi and Bangla.

Also read: Mobile apps download to cross $15 bn in 2011

"This application is free of cost to download. Only the mobile originated requests to shortcode 56263 is charged as per existing premium rates," Madhavan Iyer, senior vice president-operations, IMImobile told IANS.

"We are discussing to get this application accessed/downloaded by consumers in multiple ways that include, sideloading of the application through operator retail networks, downloaded through sms requests etc," he added.

Also read: Mobile apps download to cross $15 bn in 2011

The country currently has over 850 million mobile subscribers. However, the huge diversity, with more than one thousand dialects and 29 spoken languages, has created a communication barrier where operators find it hard to information enable their entire user base.

According to the company this has also resulted in less than optimal uptakes of SMS based services. The barrier is further stretched with the literacy level of 74 percent which is still below the world average of 84 percent.

"Through -- My SMS -- we plan to break the language barrier which has been a huge roadblock for the penetration of the telecom revolution. We want to empower users especially in the rural areas to enjoy the benefits of this revolution in their own language," said Vishwanath Alluri, founder and chief executive officer, IMImobile.