With all the excitement surrounding Monday’s launch of FrontlineForms, we almost forgot the other improvements we’ve made to the FrontlineSMS software. As well as support for IntelliSMS – another Clickatell-style online aggregator – we finally got round to adding Unicode support which, to the non-technical, means you can now send and receive messages in foreign … Continue reading Chipping away at the SMS literacy barrier
Tag: SMS
FrontlineSMS: Now with Forms
It’s been a hectic few months, but we’re finally there. Today we’re excited to announce the release of the new FrontlineForms, an SMS-driven data collection tool which seamlessly integrates into our existing and growing FrontlineSMS platform. Sure, data collection tools already exist, but many require mobile internet access to function, degrees in Linux to get … Continue reading FrontlineSMS: Now with Forms
TSF, FrontlineSMS and humanitarian assistance in Niger
In this – the third in our series of FrontlineSMS guest posts – Grégory Rebattu, Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF)’s Niger Representative, and Oisín Walton, Head of TSF Communications and International Relations, talk us through their thoughts on the software, and its potential for emergency relief in Niger. “I work for Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF), the … Continue reading TSF, FrontlineSMS and humanitarian assistance in Niger
Sitcoms+SMS: Tackling HIV/AIDS in the DRC
In this, the first of a series of guest posts on how FrontlineSMS is being used around the world, Becky McLaughlin – Marketing Director at Rien que la Vérité – talks about their current use of the platform, and the impact it has had on their work “Based in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rien … Continue reading Sitcoms+SMS: Tackling HIV/AIDS in the DRC
Spreading the [text] message
I often get asked the advantages of FrontlineSMS over the standard ‘Group’ messaging functionality of some (notably Nokia) mobile phones, or the supplied Handset Manager software. It’s an obvious question if you just see FrontlineSMS as a simple Group messaging hub. Not until you use it, or dig a little deeper, do you realise it’s … Continue reading Spreading the [text] message
Invention. Collaboration. Integration.
The past couple of weeks have been particularly exciting for Ushahidi and FrontlineSMS. Independently they’ve been featured on the BBC and CNN websites, where their use in the DRC and Malawi respectively continues to gain traction. Jointly they’ve appeared in Forbes Magazine in an interview given by Ory (which was predominantly about Ushahidi, but given … Continue reading Invention. Collaboration. Integration.
Mobile applications development: Observations
Technology and democracy: both great in theory, a little harder in practice. One of the key challenges is that one successful model doesn’t – by default – work somewhere else. For mobile techies, if we can’t easily ‘transplant’ a solution from one place to another, where does our “figure out what works” mantra leave us? … Continue reading Mobile applications development: Observations
In the know
We read a lot about the delivery, and popularity, of SMS services such as market prices, health advice and job alerts in developing countries, information there is clearly a need for. These are the services you’ll get to hear most about when you search the web, trawl the blogosphere and attend various conferences on the … Continue reading In the know
And the winners are…
Most of my ideas come on trains and buses. nGOmobile was no exception. The 1645 Kings Cross to Cambridge train was responsible this time around, after I’d spent the day getting ‘processed’ by the American Embassy in London. It only seems like yesterday that we launched the competition, and yet here we are, five months … Continue reading And the winners are…
The value of content in a content-driven world
Text messaging was, and remains, the surprise package for the mobile industry. Now a major income generator, SMS was never intended for mass public consumption – the channel was used mostly by engineers to test connectivity or to report the arrival of voicemail messages to users. Ironically, multimedia messaging – MMS – was planned and … Continue reading The value of content in a content-driven world