MCN Launches New SMS Triggered Search
Tokyo-based Mobile Content Networks announced that Thailand’s leading mobile operators (AIS, DTAC, and TrueMove) have selected MCN to launch SMS triggered search using a common shortcode. The new MCN-powered SMS Triggered Search services build on the WAP-based search applications that MCN has powered for all three operators since early 2007.
Now nearly 50,000,000 mobile phone users in Thailand can simply text 4530111 to initiate real-time search connections to hundreds of thousands of downloadable content items in popular mobile content categories like Music, Images, and Games, and can get the content they want in 2-3 clicks directly from local content sources.
“For over a year we’ve shown our unique ability to provide direct, real-time, high value WAP search results for each partner in Thailand under their own brand and business rules,” said MCN CEO Marc Bookman. “With SMS Triggered Search we now dramatically expand the addressable market for transaction-focused digital content discovery not only in Thailand but also across dozens of other emerging and mature mobile markets. SMS is a central part of daily life for hundreds of millions of mobile users and is the primary starting point for use of wireless data services. MCN plans to be at the heart of a new generation of SMS-based digital content discovery applications throughout the region, and the globe.”
According to the press release, recent data from leading research firm ABI Research confirms the importance of SMS-based content discovery: “The market for SMS search will see significant growth worldwide, with Asia-Pacific driving much of the growth – overall SMS search queries will grow from 12.9 billion in 2008 to 76 billion in 2013.” Chalk up another win for the crew in Ebisu!