Innovative System Enables Hearing-Impaired to Call for Emergency Services

TMC.net editor Michael Dinan reports on Wireless Text-Messaging Service Revolutionizes Emergency Response for the Impaired a very interesting new emergency service: Hearing impaired people in County Kent (England) can send a text message to a short code asking for assistance.
This is a tremendous asset -- many hearing-impaired use texting as a communications device outside the home. Even though this is not available (yet!) in the U.S., it merited featuring here.

UMass Implements Emergency Alert System

The University of Massachusetts has implemented a campus-wide emergency text-messaging system, see this very informative article by Derrick Perkins in The Daily Collegian for rates of success and report of a well thought out and measured implementation.

CTIA Wireless Keynote Points to Ongoing Messaging Growth

ComputerWorld reports from CTIA Wireless Expo in Las Vegas this week on CTIA president Steve Largent's keynote. He told attendees at the association's annual conference that the December 2007 total for text messages was an increase of about 157% increase over the previous year. "Text messaging continues to be enormously popular," Largent said.

The survey showed that in addition to text messages, nearly 4 billion pictures and multimedia messages were sent wirelessly for the last six months of 2007, which compares to 2.7 billion sent for all of 2006.

Wireless data services represent a major growth area since they still only account for about 17% of all wireless service revenues, with the remainder going to voice, CTIA's survey said. In all, wireless service providers had about $71 billion in revenues for the final six months of 2007. Wireless data revenues for 2007 were $23 billion, a 53% increase over 2006.

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=wireless_trends_and_technologies&articleId=9074218&taxonomyId=78

http://www.ctia.org/advocacy/research/index.cfm/AID/10316.

CTIA Web Site Provides Short Code 101

Common short codes (CSCs) are administered by a single CSC Administrator (CSCA) - CTIA-The Wireless Association® - for a group of U.S. wireless carriers. The CSCA oversees the technical and operational aspects of CSC functions and maintains a single database of available, reserved, and registered CSCs.

Common Short Codes represent a fast-growing channel offering direct communication with consumers, anytime and anywhere through a common medium. Common Short Codes are four to six digit numeric codes to which text messages can be sent from a mobile phone to access or buy mobile content (e.g. weather alerts, news, games, ring tones, etc.), vote for your favorite TV personality, participate in a poll, and more. Common Short Codes can be leased by any company looking to interact with hundreds of millions of wireless consumers.

In order to lease a CSC, an individual or company must first set up an account on the CSCA website. Once this is done, an application for the lease of a CSC may be completed. The application will then be either approved or disapproved, and the applicant will be notified by email.

http://www.ctia.org/business_resources/short_code/index.cfm/AID/10342

Verizon Confirms Opt-In Messaging Exponential Growth Trajectory

Seven years after the launch of basic text messaging, Verizon Wireless customers sent and received more than 10 billion messages in June 2007. Eight short months later, the number of text messages on the Verizon Wireless network last month, February 2008, doubled to nearly 20 billion.

As texting grows into a more mainstream communications channel, opportunities grow for new and innovative messaging programs often involving short codes, that allow citizens to participate in activities of their choice.

Contests, promotions and other "opt-in" campaigns have been launched in the past few years that give marketers and advocates other ways to reach consumers with unique offers or information. Since 2005, wireless service providers have offered Wireless AMBER Alerts, allowing consumers to "opt-in" to receive a text message when an AMBER Alert about a missing or abducted child is issued in their area.

"The volume of text messages being sent and received by Verizon Wireless customers is growing exponentially," said Mike Lanman, chief marketing officer of Verizon Wireless. "Whether it's sports scores, news updates, the latest weather forecast, or the 'joke of the day', text messages are a tremendous way for anyone to stay on top of what's happening in the world. "Not to mention all of the parents -- and grandparents -- keeping up with their kids, or kids texting each other throughout the day, text messaging is becoming an increasingly important way to communicate for people of all ages," Lanman added.

Using text messaging to fundraise for charity is another of those opportunities. Verizon Wireless believes it's time to create a set of best practices around mobile giving, so Americans who contribute are protected and there is a solid framework in place for these campaigns.

http://sev.prnewswire.com/telecommunications/20080331/NYM03731032008-1.html

Emergency text message system used for first time

A recent news article in a college newspaper points to an increasing trend of using SMS to send out text alerts to campuses or organizations:
Weather causes floods, outages
Emergency text message system used for first time
(Southern Illinois University, Carbondale: The Daily Egyptian 3/19/08)

Opinion: Wireless Carriers and Innovation

This article by Walter Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal is a must read on the eve of the CTIA conference in San Francisco. Keep his thoughts in mind when listening to the various keynote presentations.

$10,000 U.S. Cellular Penalties

U.S. Cellular Corporation is revising its penalties in case of failure by a content provider to adhere to the carrier's rules and regulations, in following 2 areas:

1. A content provider is prohibited from including or transmitting any Binary Content as part of a message unless expressly permitted by the carrier in writing. For each such breach, the content provider is liable for liquidated damages of $10,000. Binary Content is defined as anything that is not 7bit ASCII text. This includes 8bit text, 16bit text, Wap Push messages, MMS messages, SMS Wakeups, vCard, vCal, etc.

   
   

2. A content provider needs to adhere to the Mobile Marketing Association's 'Consumer Best Practices Guidelines for Cross-Carrier Mobile Content Services'. For each material breach of such guidelines, the content provider will be liable for liquidated damages of $10,000.
   

AT&T Disconnecting non-SRM compliant premium subscription services

AT&T has alerted us that they will start disconnecting all short codes that run premium subscription campaigns and are not using AT&T's Subscription and Refund Management (SRM) Platform. AT&T will typically not give any warning before disconnecting a particular code.

Free CTIA Conference Pass

The CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment 2007 conference takes place from Oct 23-25, 2007 in San Francisco. Get FREE access to the exhibits and keynotes here. Enter code SFPP. You need to act quickly as the deadline for these passes is this Friday, October 5th. Contact me if you want to meet during the conference.

Alltel price cap and subscription periods

Effective immediately, Alltel is reducing the maximum per message premium price to $9.99. Higher per message prices can be approved on a case-by-case basis but content providers will need to demonstrate the value of the content they'll provide. Also, going forward, Alltel will limit subscription periods to monthly only. Daily and weekly subscriptions are no longer allowed. Existing campaigns will be grandfathered in and won't need to change, but all new campaigns need to adhere to these new policies.

AT&T Zero Rate Policy Change (UPDATED)

AT&T requires the use of 'zero rated' messages (ie. messages that are free to the end user) for all responses to HELP and STOP requests. These responses arrive on the consumer's cell phone via an 11-digit short code provided by AT&T.

AT&T is making two changes to aforementioned policy:

1. The 11-digit short code is replaced by a 4 digit short code. The short code number is 1006.
   
2. Not only responses to HELP and STOP requests need to be zero-rated, but also subscription confirmation and subscription reminder messages.
   

In addition to these changes, AT&T requires that all subscription confirmation messages contain a toll-free technical support number, website address, or AT&T customer support number. Refunds and cancellations should ONLY be processed using AT&T's SRM system.

Quios customers need to ensure that all subscription confirmation and reminder messages are sent with 'price=-1', which will automatically trigger the zero-rate tariff and 4 digit short code on AT&T's network.

UPDATE (10/1/2007): We were informed today to hold off on the implementation of this new policy. Because of consumer litigation, AT&T felt it was necessary to change the policy, and that hasn't changed. So we do expect this new policy to be implemented some time in the future. Stay tuned for more info.

AT&T Delays implementation of OPPC

As previously reported here, AT&T is preparing to roll-out phase 2 of their subscription management system. It's called OPPC which stands for Off-Portal Purchasing Control. The basic idea is that AT&T will take over the responsibility for handling the double opt-in consumer registration process.

AT&T has just announced that it would delay the roll-out of OPPC until Q1 2008. This will give content providers extra time to test their implementation and integration with the OPPC system during Q4 2007. AT&T stresses that the delay does not signal a reduced commitment to switch over to the OPPC system. On the contrary, AT&T intents to invest even more time and effort in making sure that the OPPC platform is successfully rolled out.

Premium Billing on US Cellular

We're happy to announce the availability of Premium Billing on US Cellular. Only text-based single purchase programs (no binary, no subscriptions) are currently supported with price points ranging from $0.50 up to $30. US Cellular consumers have a global spending limit of $50 per account per calendar month, enforced by US Cellular.

All campaigns need to comply with MMA Guidelines an the USCC Rule Book (more details to follow).

US Cellular has over 6 million subscribers in 189 markets in 26 states (see coverage map - areas in blue). The company has converted its network to CDMA-1X digital technology, adding more voice capacity, high-speed data products and features, and expanded coverage areas. A small percentage of the U.S. Cellular subscriber base is pre-paid customers not eligible for premium traffic at this time which will be available in the future.

Verizon Wireless Monthly Spending Cap

Verizon Wireless imposes a monthly spending cap of $100. Please note that this spending cap is to be applied on a calendar-month basis. This means that if someone signs up for a mobile chat campaign on September 28th, he can spend up to $100 between September 28th and September 30th, and another $100 from October 1st to October 31st.

T-Mobile Playbook Changes

T-Mobile released a new version of its short code playbook, detailing all requirements content providers need to adhere to when running mobile campaigns on T-Mobile's network. As usual, T-Mobile does not allow 'grandfathering-in' of existing campaigns, meaning that all current campaigns need to be in compliance with the new guidelines within 30 days from today.

The playbook has grown to a massive 45 pages and is to be used in conjunction with the MMA Best Practices guidelines which are also mandatory.

The key changes in the current version (version 6) of the playbook are:

• Sweepstake campaigns are approved on a case-by-case basis and if charged at a premium rate, need to include a piece of downloadable content for the premium charge.
  
• Premium Interactive TV campaigns are approved on a case-by-case basis and may require on-air visual and verbal call out of pricing and Ts&Cs. Only one-time events are allowed, no subscription billing.
  
• Opt-in and opt-out via a mobile internet browser (WAP page) is now allowed.
  
• WAP Billing is now offered as an alternative to PSMS billing.
  
• Promotional or complimentary downloadable content is now allowed on a case-by-case basis if the download is tied to a specific promotional campaign for a 'non-mobile' product or service.
  
• The restrictions on downloadable applications are relaxed. Both non-networked and networked applications and games may be permitted as long as they have been certified by True North Services (TNS), T-Mobile's third party application certifier. However, applications and networked games, if approved, are only available to T-Mobile subscribers with unlimited Internet access.

Verizon Phone Blocking

Verizon now allows subscribers to block the delivery of Premium Billed SMS messages. When a content provider attempts to send a PSMS message to a blocked phone, Verizon will return a specific error code, and the content provider needs to send a zero rated message to the subscriber to inform him of the blocking.

Verizon will also block the delivery of MMS messages to subscribers of Verizon resellers such as Tracfone, Airvoice, Page Plus, or West End, etc. A specific error message will be returned.

If the content provider observes this error during the delivery of a message that is part of a subscription, the content provider needs to cancel the subscription, and confirm to the subscriber that his subscription has been canceled.

Monthly subscription reminder messages

The Consumer Best Practices Guidelines, issued by the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), specify that all subscription campaigns require a monthly reminder message. Before a program is renewed, a renewal message needs to be sent to the subscriber reminding him/her that the subscription is about to be renewed. The reminder message needs to specify the pricing as well as opt-out instructions. The guidelines are silent on how much lead time a content provider needs to give the consumer before actually renewing the subscription.

All US carriers require content providers to implement the MMA guidelines, but some carriers impose additional restrictions.

Verizon Wireless announces that consumers should be given at least a 2 business day lead time before a subscription gets renewed. This means that the monthly notification message needs to be sent out 2 business days before the renewal Premium SMS message is initiated.

Many content providers have been sending out renewal messages 10 or 20 minutes before sending out the premium sms message. This is no longer allowed by Verizon.

T-Mobile and sweepstakes

Not surprisingly, T-Mobile is now requiring that any end-user who is participating in a premium sweepstakes campaign is getting some mobile content delivered to the phone in return for the premium charge. Technically, the user is paying for the mobile content, and is getting the sweepstakes entry for free

As mentioned here, Verizon Wireless has a very similar requirement and I expect that other carriers will follow pretty soon.

I suspect that these changes are the direct result of the class action lawsuit initiated by a viewer in Georgia who participated in the 'get rich with Trump' mobile sweepstakes campaign while watching The Apprentice on NBC. See here and here for more details about the lawsuit.

New AT&T Branding Guidelines

With immediate effect, AT&T no longer allows the use of its logos and trademarks by off-portal content providers and aggregators. This means that all official branding logos and AT&T registered trademarks MUST BE REMOVED IMMEDIATELY from all consumer facing materials, such as websites, brochures, advertising, etc.

In promoting products and services, content providers should make it clear that they are the sole provider of services. Promotional material should not imply that AT&T provides the service, but only that your service can be purchased by AT&T subscribers.

Any reference to AT&T needs to be made using plain text.

AT&T's auditing partner, Accenture, will start auditing 3rd party websites and advertising for infringement of the above rules within 2 weeks.

Please make sure to remove all infringing AT&T references from your promotional materials asap to avoid possible cancellation of your short codes.