The Power of SMS Marketing #SMSIsNotDead

This info-graphic was lifted from the Business2Community website. #SMSIsNotDead

SMS Revenues for carriers are slowly diminishing. I have long been a campaigner for carriers to allow others to innovate on top of their SMS asset. Carriers simply don't support this, which is why developers go to aggregators and emerging OTT providers.

SMS  is not dead, it simply has to be used in a creative fashion to engage with the users who are slowly starting to move away from using it. It's value as a consumer to consumer communication tool might be gradually diminishing (it isn't in emerging markets), but it still has far reaching legs in the B2C and M2M world.

If carriers want to continue playing in the game - that they created and owned, then they have to allow others to innovate on top of what they created. Open up your networks to people who would love to innovate on top of them. Or don't and watch the innovation (and read the fine print - the money) head elsewhere.

Carriers should not even have to think about this. Why then are there no simple to use developer API's exposed by carriers to support innovation within the world of SMS. For that matter, why are there no simple APIs to innovate on top of voice, exposed by carriers, either?

Cheers

m

Lending A Hand In The Garden

This past weekend saw some much needed time in the garden. The place is getting a little overgrown now the summer is finally upon us! Sort of!

Of course Peter had to get right in the thick of it. Really funny how he watched us and then copied what we were doing. He really wanted to be part of the action and join in the fun!

We are planning to start a raised bed for vegetables, which I hope he gets into as much as he has the pruning! Was great fun watching him try to get the garden waste into the recycling bin. He was just able to reach, although half of his handfuls ended back on the ground.

Got to love his dedication and effort though! Much fun!

Thunderbirds Jeff Tracy Communicator Built by Voxygen Using Raspberry Pi and BlueVia Voice

When I was a kid, and in fact even through high school, I loved the TV show the Thunderbirds. In fact if I am being honest I probably haven't gotten over this yet! ;-). So I was pretty happy that the Jeff Tracy style communicator above, built by Voxygen, uses the BlueVia Voice API for its communications needs ;-).

As Voxygen suggest in their blog post for the Tracy Island Communications Platform, they may consider putting a project kit up on Kickstarter. I strongly suggest if you need this in your life, and lets face it who doesn't, that you get in touch with them and convince them that this is a damned good idea!

I would suggest a name change for the product though. a Tracy Island Communications Platform, or TICP for short, rolls off the tongue like a brick ;-). Thinking through an acronym for F.A.B. for the product :-)

Cheers

m