Esendex company news

The Mo’s are gone, but not forgotten…

There is a great need to raise vital funds and awareness to change the face of men’s health, particularly testicular and prostate cancer.

Therefore, during the 11^th month of each year, men all over the world tackle this problem head on by sprouting moustaches, the physical presence of the moustache helps to raise the awareness and to raise funds they ask for the kindness of friends, family, colleagues and complete strangers to reach into their pockets and sponsor them.

The charity that has helped grow this idea into a global success is called Movember. Such a success in fact, that this year alone, Movember has so far raised around AU$88.7 million globally.

So far we have managed to raise AU$170, which between the 3 of us here in Australia, we’re pretty proud of. Our Mo Bro’s over in the European offices have also managed to raise a hefty sum, amounting to over £1000 (AU$1500).

If you’d like to sponsor our achievement, or just support men’s health in general, you can visit our Esendex page here : http://uk.movember.com/mospace/1377340/

New Ford technology disables text messaging whilst driving

In an attempt to reduce the number of traffic casualties on the road, Ford have released new technology designed to disable text messaging and phone calls on mobile phone devices whilst driving.

The technology, entitled MyKey, will be launched next year and will give parents the ability to control their children’s access to text messaging and phone calls whilst they are driving.

The device works when the mobile phone’s Bluetooth connectivity is activated and synchronised with the vehicle. When this happens the car’s sound system stops ringtone for messages and phone calls from being received by the phone, thus becoming less of a distraction to drivers.

All phone calls will be automatically transferred to voicemails whilst SMS messages will be received silently to the device.

It is hoped that the new technology will reduce the number of road accidents which are caused by drivers being distracted by electronic devices, such as their phones. Whilst Learners Permit (L) and Provisional (P1) drivers are currently banned from operating a mobile phone in any way whilst driving, full licence holders do not have the same restrictions.

Rule 300 of the Australian Road Rules (for South Australia) states that mobile phone functions can be performed by drivers in certain ways. The creation, sending or reading of text messages remains prohibited when the engine is running but phone calls may still be made and received. The rule states that, for the latter case, the mobile phone handset must either be connected to a hands-free kit or mounted securely within the car.

However, Ford’s new technology has received some criticism. The MyKey technology will only operate if the mobile phone has its Bluetooth functions enabled – meaning that drivers could bypass the system if they chose to.

Despite this, the technology certainly marks a positive step for mobile phone development and the safe use of SMS services, highlighting the need for drivers to ensure they follow safe driving procedures at all times

Email SMS, Email to SMS, SMS from Email – What does it all mean?

In an age when businesses are constantly expanding or relocating staff to different areas in order to seek growth, they have to come up with effective ways to communicate with one another.

You may have offices in cities such as Tokyo, London and Brisbane. You may also have a fleet of vehicles constantly on the move in those cities. If this is the case, the idea of using Email SMS services could revolutionise the way in which your business is run.

In its simplest terms, Email to SMS means that messages are sent via email, but delivered as texts. SMS responses will subsequently be received as emails.

This means that organising a large group of staff who may be constantly on the move, but still need to communicate efficiently, can be made a great deal easier by introducing SMS from Email.

It is also worth noting that not everyone in a business will have constant internet access. Email itself is by far and away the most popular and effective way for colleagues to communicate with each other throughout the world.

However, for a variety of reasons, all of these people cannot have internet access all of the time. From this point of view, Email SMS is a very useful substitute for basic email.

Another consideration is that integrating Email SMS to an existing system is not a complex process. When using the system, it is simply a case of adding a different suffix to an email address so that it is sent as an SMS instead of an email.

The world of technology within business is constantly evolving and right at the heart of this evolution is the way in which business professionals communicate with each other.

SMS from email is one of the most popular, and most effective, business communication solutions.

WA State Government consider SMS alerts over shark threats

In the wake of three fatal shark attacks within the last two months, the State Government in Western Australia are considering the idea of establishing a ‘shark hotline’ which will allow people the chance to send SMS alerts about shark attacks or sightings.

Local residents made their feelings on the matter very clear at a public forum in Busselton last week. Fisheries Department Chief Executive Stuart Smith has since responded to the calls from a concerned public.

“We are interested in developing a system that works best for our purposes,” said Mr Smith. “We will evaluate the effectiveness of the current alerts in place and use something similar or build an entirely new system.”

Smith said that he and his officers were considering a system which would be quite similar to the one which was established by the Fire and Emergency Services Authority in the area.

That particular system was designed to warn people who live in ‘at-risk’ areas about potentially threatening bushfires.

Norman Moore, the Fisheries Minister, was cautious but open to discussion on the subject when speaking to The Sunday Times recently.

“Such an option would usually prove useful to alert people of sightings when they were out of the water. However, if the research advice indicates it could be a viable and cost effective shark mitigation tool, the State Government will consider it among any other options identified by the review,” Mr. Moore stated.

The idea is certainly a very original use of an SMS service, and may prove useful if there was evidence that the spate of recent attacks was set to continue.

Professor Shaun Collin, from the University of Western Australia’s Oceans Institute, accepted the merits of an SMS alert system, but also suggested that education on the issue of sharks is extremely important.

“Since there is so little known about sharks, their movement patterns and the influences of environmental cues on their behaviour, the Government could consider funding more focused research,” said Prof Collin.

Business text messaging takes hold in Australia

The Australian mobile phone market is worth $17 billion and hit 125% penetration in 2011, according to the latest research.

According to the Mobile Communications Statistics and Forecast’s annual publication of the Australian mobile phone market, SMS messages are used extensively.

The mobile services industry now represents over 50% of the overall industry revenues in Australia. As the population increases, so does the demand for phones which incorporate SMS services. The research also found that the number of people with dual mobile subscriptions has increased. Many Australians have two separate phones, one for personal use and the other for business.

Whilst phone calls are still the dominant use for a mobile phone, using mobile data has become increasingly popular recently with the advent of Android and Apple powered Smartphones.

Phones using Google’s Android operating system proved to be the most popular.   By the end of 2011, the reports suggest that smartphones will dominate 50% of the market over the Apple iPhone. Total sales volumes highlighted that a number of people are changing their handsets on a regular basis to keep up with current trends.

The competition between operators to offer the latest handset on the cheapest tariff has intensified recently. The growing demand for data use means that many customers are prepared to reduce their use of fixed-line voice services.

SMS messaging for businesses

There are an estimated 6 million more mobile subscribers than people in Australia. With the growing popularity of phones, many businesses now communicate to their customers via SMS messaging.

Business text messaging is becoming increasingly common as companies can engage with consumers on an extremely cost effective level.

The research found that “retailers are fast becoming the focal point for interaction with customers, many of whom have individual needs which require a higher level of customer service.”

It’s 30 years since Australia’s first mobile phone call

Nearly everyone in Australia has a mobile phone these days. However, the first mobile phone in Australia in is only 30 years old.

The popular mobile device first emerged in Australia in 1981.  The first call was made on the country’s first mobile network – Telstra’s new Public Automatic Telephone System.

At that time Telestra was known as Telecom, and the car handset device from where they made that very first call had a very straightforward name, simply – The Mobile Phone.

What was the first mobile phone like?

The first mobile phone weighed a hefty 14kg and consisted of a 45cm handset, a receiver stored in the boot of the car and an antenna on the roof: hardly what we’d refer to as a mobile phone today.

Only the most well off Australians could afford it, as it cost $5,000. Although the phone was big, it didn’t have much memory; it was able to store only a maximum of 16 numbers. Obviously, sending an SMS with the device was unimaginable at the time.

Unlike today’s mobile phones complete with MP3 players and hundreds of different call settings, the Telstra mobile phone alerted drivers of incoming calls by automatically honking the horn and flashing the headlights!

Before and after

When the first commercially-available hand-held mobile appeared in 1983, phone coverage was limited to three mobile base stations in the greater Melbourne area and only 1000 people could use it at once.

Much has changed since then. Today the Telstra network has more than 7400 base stations across Australia and 11 million users benefit from its service. SMS services and mobile internet were a revolution when they arrived…..who knows what the future will bring.

The great debate: Samsung vs Apple iPhone 4S

The on-going battle between tech giants Samsung Electronics and Apple deepened over the last few days when Samsung moved to embargo sales of the new iPhone 4S in Australia.

The legal dispute over phone similarities comes after a court in Australia temporarily banned sales of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 earlier this year.

The South Korean manufacturer has previously made attempts to embargo the new Apple smartphone in France and Italy, claiming patent infringement.

The two companies have been involved in a legal dispute over smartphone and tablet designs since April when Apple sued Samsung for allegedly copying iPhone and iPad models.

Whilst both parties make counter claims, however, Apple appear to be holding the upper hand having previously won pleas to ban the sale of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Germany.

A statement by Samsung said, “Apple has continued to violate our patent rights and free ride on our technology. We will no longer stand idly by and will steadfastly protect our intellectual property.”

At Esendex, we are not coming down on either side of the debate -  we love the S2 and the iphone 4 equally.  It is clear however that mobile usage is growing quickly.

Recent research from mobcity.com found that the average Australian will spend 35 minutes a day sending text messages. The number of SMS messages sent in Australia has increased dramatically over the last few years. In 2010, there was a 300% increase in overall SMS/MMS message use across the country.

With all this in mind the mobile phone race has never been closer.

Who do you think will win this battle of cool technology?

Infographic: Stats about mobile usage

As a country Australia is sending far more SMS messages than we were just a couple of years back. Below we take a look at some of the emerging trends and staggering figures that highlight the growth of mobile phone usage across Australia.

Did you know that in 2010 there was a 300% increase in overall SMS/MMS message volumes across the country? Everyone, from young children to old grandparents, knows how to send a text message today.

Figures compiled by mobicity.com show that most Australians spend 35 minutes a day sending text messages. In 2010, 8 million text messages were sent across Australia on Valentine’s Day. Teenagers send on average 5 text messages a day – 83% of all Australian teens own a mobile phone.

Half of these teens do not turn their phone off at night and a quarter of them admit to replying to texts they receive at night immediately: 10% of these teens admit to receiving text messages that wake them up each night.

But it’s not just young people who send text messages – figures show that Australian seniors send on average one text message a day, too.

This is just a snap shot of the volume of SMS messages that are being sent across Australia each and every day. As a nation we are one of the most mobile-tech savvy: 43% of Australians own a Smartphone and 26% of all Australians participate in mobile social networking and 32% of Australians own an Apple iPhone.

With such impressive growth rates it is little wonder then that more and more brands are using mobile and SMS messaging in particular as an effective marketing channel.

Click on the magnifier glass to check the infographic

Australia’s most popular mobile phone revealed

A new consumer survey has revealed that the Apple iPhone is today Australia’s most popular mobile phone.

The 2011 Australian Mobile Phone Lifestyle Index (AMPLI) revealed interesting findings on the use of applications, services, social networking and mobile data in the Australian market.

The data shows that a majority of 32% of Australians own an Apple handset today, the first time that the iPhone has overtaken Nokia in the survey.

28% of people own a Nokia mobile phone and 13% of all Australians own a Samsung. Other mobile brands that rated less than 10% among Aussies includes: HTC (8%), Sony Ericsson (5%), LG (4%), Blackberry (3%) and Motorola (3%).

“There has been a clear shift in handset brand ownership in the last few years. Nokia ownership has been steadily decreasing, as has Motorola, while Apple has been steadily increasing in popularity since the impact of the iPhone release was first captured in 2009,” the report stated.

The era of the Smartphone

Further data released by the study reached other conclusions on Australians’ preferences when it comes to mobile technology devices.

There has been a substantial increase in use of mobile data over the last year; more than half of respondents said they use social networking on their phones now and almost half of the respondents own a tablet or plan to purchase one in the next 6 to 12 months.

This data shows the strength in which Smartphones are being welcomed into the market by Australians. Smartphone penetration is over 50% in Australia, which has led to a 300% increase in the number of emails being opened on a mobile device for the period 2010/11.

The increase in Smartphone useage among Australians is indicative of how the majority of us cannot live without our mobile phones. With most people owning a mobile phone, communication is far easier than it was just 10 years ago.

Business text messaging is becoming increasingly common because they can engage with consumers easily in a cost effective way.

Emergency SMS and natural disasters

Floods, tsunamis, earthquakes, cyclones, thunderstorms, damaging hail stones, torrential rains, destructive winds… the threat from natural disasters appears to be growing around the globe. But countries are increasingly working on ways to warn people in case of an emergency through SMS. Find out how.

As the summer approaches in Australia, there are numerous and severe weather conditions that can cause havoc and be a threat to the well-being of people and their belongings.

To help, a commission of enquiry is seeking for an emergency SMS system to be put in place so that Australians can be better prepared for natural disasters. By using SMS and mobile telephone technology, the system will aim to alert people when dangerous weather conditions are approaching.

SMS alerts in demand

Since the floods and the cyclone hit Queensland earlier this year, the demand for these SMS emergency warnings has increased considerably. Local councils, such as Brisbane and Townsville, are already offering this service to all citizens who register, so that they can receive official warnings in case of critical weather.

The use of these SMS alerts in cases of natural disasters by local and government authorities has not gone unnoticed by private companies too though, with many having launched their own kind of service too. The Australian Early Warning Network is just one of them, providing a multi-channel alerts service, with mobile phones as the main way of communication through fast and direct SMS.

All these services monitor the weather and if they detect that particularly dangerous weather may affect a specific region they send SMS alerts to registered users within that area. Once the text message is read, those who receive a text message alert are provided with some extra time to prepare for the weather, get their houses ready for the event and in if necessary evacuate.

SMS emergency warning

The specific characteristics of SMS text messages makes them the best way of communication in the complex and ever-changing situation experienced during and immediately after a natural disaster.

Haiti, Japan, New Zealand… Many countries have been recently hit by earthquakes or tsunamis, which can be among the most devastating of all natural disasters.

The effectiveness of Group SMS when a natural disaster such as this strikes can be truly life-saving, offering hope and information to those suffering.