The product enables businesses to created “Everywhere Pages” which aim to help businesses and groups to improve response from traditional advertising, search engine marketing and e-mail newsletters, and to create immediate and loyal connections to customers and members who are increasingly accessing e-mail, Web pages and text messages from cell phones.
“Everywhere Pages have information formatted for viewing on any cell or smart phone, such as T-Mobile’s G1 Google Phone. Additionally, there are dedicated pages designed to accommodate the unique features of the iPhone and BlackBerry,” said Chuck Sacco, PhindMe CEO. “This is especially important because the vast majority of Web sites were designed for laptops or desktops and are too difficult to navigate on a handheld device, if they display anything intelligible at all. They also frequently feature information that isn’t relevant to people on the go.”
PhindMe is a member of the international Mobile Marketing Association and provides mobile customer interaction solutions for use by agencies and other business-to-business service providers.

Despite such risks, many Americans send and receive text messages on mobile e-mail devices in dangerous situations, according to a survey released on Tuesday that showed 77 percent have used such a device while driving a moving car.

Forty-one percent said they have used a mobile e-mail device such as a BlackBerry while skiing, on horseback or riding a bicycle, said the survey commissioned by Neverfail Inc, an Austin, Texas-based software company that provides protection for business data, operations and applications.

The engineer of a crowded commuter train was text-messaging from his cell phone seconds before his train skipped a red light and collided with a freight train near Los Angeles in September, killing 25 people, investigators found.

The Neverfail survey said the proportion of the corporate work force using company-supplied mobile devices will grow to nearly 40 percent by 2010 from just under one-quarter now.

In the economic crisis workers may feel squeezed and under pressure to use their mobile devices even more, said Michael Osterman, president of Osterman Research of Black Diamond, Washington, which conducted the survey for Neverfail.

“People are going to have to do more than they are doing now,” he said. “As people get laid off, the responsibilities of the company don’t go away, but the people to do the work do.”

Also, 11 percent of respondents said they have used such a device during a romantic moment, and 79 percent said they have used one in the bathroom, it said.

Eighteen percent have used one during a wedding, 16 percent during a funeral or memorial service and 37 percent during a graduation, it said.

The online survey was conducted August 4 through August 26, 2008, of 148 U.S. adults. The margin of error varied for each question but averaged plus or minus 5 percentage points.

Along the same topic, earlier this year the American College of Emergency Medicine warned people not to text message while walking, skating, riding a bicycle or driving. It said its members were noticing a rise in injuries and deaths related to sending text messages at inappropriate times.

A survey last year by the AAA travel and motorist group found nearly half of U.S. teen-agers sent text messages while driving.

In New York, a state legislator has proposed a bill to combat so-called “iPod oblivion” and fine pedestrians for crossing city streets while wearing portable media players.

Courtesy of Reuters Group.

Ellen Wulfhorst is a reporter for Reuters.com.

ABI Research has found that 37% of those who have received text message-based advertising have indicated they are more likely to respond to advertising in a text-based marketing message if they are offered an incentive such as a retail coupon or free song or ringtone, compared with only 11% who indicated that such incentives would not have any impact.

“We think that in general, advertisers and operators must tread carefully when delivering marketing messages to a consumer’s mobile handset, especially given that many subscribers believe they are paying a significant amount of money for their mobile services,” says research director Michael Wolf. “However, we believe that marketing and advertising messaging that is properly crafted and that utilizes incentives could enjoy more acceptance on the part of the consumer.”

The most effective incentives were real-world discounts and coupons for retail storefronts, ABI found. More than 60% of those who were either neutral or open to potential text message marketing nominated a discount coupon at a local retailer as the incentive they would most likely respond to. The next most popular incentives were free ringtones and songs.

The top draws on the mobile Internet in the U.S.:

Event results (66.3%)
Medal Counts (44.3%)
TV Schedule (43.7%)

The top draws on mobile video in the U.S.:

Gymnastics (61.7%)
Swimming/Diving (58.5%)
Track and Field (54.4%)

The deal was inked to help Simply Wireless communicate with and retain new and existing customers – and it’s the first time the company will use the mobile Internet as a marketing tool. Simply Wireless is licensing two of 2ergo’s self-service products to assist in the creation of its mobile marketing initiatives – Via and Swift. Via allows the company to quickly set up targeted SMS campaigns, while Swift gives Simply Wireless the ability to easily create mobile Web pages in support of its marketing initiatives. Both products provide extensive tracking and reporting capabilities.

“Simply Wireless is using Via and Swift to communicate specials with subscribers in a variety of ways,” Guy Vidra, managing director of 2ergo Americas, told ADOTAS. “Consumers will receive targeted messages if their contract is about to expire with links in the message to Simply Wireless’ site and a discount. Our marketing service is so much richer than just a text message because it’s bundled with an online site. Their mobile Internet site is full of rich information with links and coupons.”

Simply Wireless was founded in 1997 and is a leading national provider of wireless technology for consumers and businesses offering Alltel, Cellular One, Sprint, Suncom and T-Mobile as carrier choices.

2ergo Americas is a veteran provider of mobile marketing products and solutions with carrier connectivity around the globe. Clients include FOX, HBO, NBC, AT&T and Motorola.

The company’s increase in traffic – about 30% a month — outpaces that of mobile browsing worldwide. In June alone it served 52 million ads worldwide (34 million of which were in the U.S.)

The most traffic on the iPhone has come from the U.S., Philippines, U.K. and France. Jaguar, Land Rover and Fox advertise on iPhones exclusively.

Overall, AdMob said it serves more than 3 billion ads a month – and that more than 22.4% of ad requests in the AdMob network worldwide were from Smartphones.

With SBS, the network will not reach more than 7 million Hispanic radio listeners in leading markets including L.A., Chicago, NYC and Miami. HipCricket launched the network in April with inaugural partners Bustos Media, Davidson Group and Lotus Communications.

“This deal with SBS is a significant milestone in the growth of our network, and represents a strong endorsement by a major Hispanic media player of the power of mobile marketing for Hispanic audiences,” said Ivan Braiker, CEO of HipCricket. “We are grateful to all our Hispanic media partners for their leadership and vision in working with us to create a uniquely powerful mobile marketing platform connecting brands and advertisers with Hispanic consumers.”

It seems that now is the time to throw ad dollars at the Hispanic mobile marketing sector: In a recent Mobile Marketing Association study, 32% of Hispanic consumers indicated that they were moderately or highly receptive to mobile marketing messages. And they’re already equipped to receive those messages. And 75% of all U.S. Hispanic households have multiple mobile phones and use them more than any other form of personal technology on the market today — more than half regularly use text messaging.

HipCricket’s mobile platform is permission-based – and all messages are customized based on a consumer’s preferences.

Proteus has been around for about 12 years in the mobile space and its been involved in mobile messaging for about nine years. Guy Vidra, Proteus’ president, told ADOTAS that the new product is an extension of the company’s basic philosophy: “democratizing the mobile medium for everyone – and helping marketers and small businesses by providing them with the tools that will help them communicate with the growing mobile audience.”

The company said it hopes to help big and small companies tap into a soon-to-be gushing stream of revenue – according to eMarketer, mobile message advertising will more than triple in the next five years, ballooning from $1.4 billion this year to $4.5 billion in 2012.

Other significant changes in the industry will also help send the mobile messaging market soaring – like the recent slashing of iPhone prices, Vidra said.

“We are huge proponents of 3G phones at lower prices,” he remarked. “And Google is helping by working on opening up wireless networks in the U.S. so marketers will have an open platform.”

So what is Via exactly? It’s a simple, self-service messaging tool that allows clients to create and track SMS messaging campaigns – businesses can create alerts, auto responders, polls, trivia and sweepstakes campaigns. SMS messages are sent on Proteus’ carrier-grade message delivery platform, which supported the first interactive TV event in the United States using live-to-air SMS as well as live events such as the Super Bowl, the Olympics and American Idol.  The product can also be integrated with a client’s existing SMS connectivity.

Via is one component of the Proteus product suite, which also includes the Swift mobile site publishing platform and Merx content management and storefront solution.

Proteus’ clients include FOX, HBO, AT&T and Motorola.

The company aims to help brands boost engagement with targeted audiences; 5th Finger’s most notable success includes its work with the Live Earth Concert Series in which more than 1 million lifestyle commitment pledges were received as a result of their SMS and online campaign.

“When looking for companies to invest in, we rank innovative and scalable technology together with market vision and thought leadership. In addition, the 5th Finger team has also shown great passion and an ability to deliver,” said Malcolm Thornton, general partner at Starfish Ventures. “In less than one year, 5th Finger has already established a strong foothold in the U.S. market and we believe the company will enjoy as high a level of success in the U.S. market as in Australia.”

5th Finger was launched in Australia and is now based in San Francisco. The company focuses on a number of industry sectors, including pharmaceuticals, retail and live events. Its clients include MSN Mobile, Nike and Amazon.