Google has flipped the switch on for sending text messages (SMS) to cellphone users in India via its Google Talk IM service. At the moment it supports Aircel, Idea, Loop Mobile, MTS, Reliance, Tata DoCoMo, Tata Indicom and Vodafone in some circles (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Gujarat, A.P, Bihar, W.B. & A & N, Assam, N.E.). Surprisingly, India’s largest carrier, Airtel, and government-owned MTNL and BSNL are missing from the list.
Users get 50 credits everyday and each credit is equal to one outgoing text message. If someone replies to the message, it pops up on Google Talk itself rather than the phone. Users get 5 credits for every reply they get to messages sent from this service. However, it does not send messages to numbers that are registered under DND, which can be a limiting factor.
On Google Talk client users will have to add phone numbers to their contact list. An SMS option comes when the mouse pointer is over the contact’s name from where users can select SMS to send the message.
Sending text messages from a website isn’t new and many services have existed for a few years now. However, most have lost significant business after the deployment of DND registry.
UPDATE: This service has been live in India for a while but Google is yet to officially announce it.
Hat tip to Karan Bajaj and Dhruv Bhutani!
No comments:
Post a Comment