WASPA born today

The wireless application industry is marking its coming of age with the inaugural meeting of the industry association today and preparation for the first awards catering for the industry.

Wireless Application Service Provider Association (WASPA) chairman Leon Perlman says the industry is growing exponentially and there are between 150 and 200 application service providers in the country.

“SMS and data revenues have grown from about 2% of the mobile network operators' revenue to about 6% and is expected to move into double digits in the near future with the roll-out of 3G,” he says.

Among the first order of WASPA's business will be the formulation of a code of conduct for the industry, Perlman says.

The first WASP awards ceremony is scheduled for 9 November, and Jain McGuigan from events organiser ForgeAhead says the industry is mature enough to justify its own recognition system.

“The industry is maturing, necessitating a code of conduct and formal recognition for achievements,” McGuigan says.

The Vodacom Mobile Application Awards 2004, with First Tuesday, is a national competition to find the best mobile applications and services in SA. The winners will be chosen by a jury of mobile industry executives voting for the best mobile applications and services of 2004.

The aim of the awards is to identify organisations in the South African development sector that have demonstrated service excellence and innovation through the use of mobile technologies. Categories are best mobile application or service for the corporate market, the consumer market, marketing campaign (for a community project or non-profit organisation), the best mobile application developer and the best newcomer of the year.

Cape Town-based BulkSMS.com will sponsor the award category of best mobile application or service for a community project or non-profit organisation.

"Through our involvement in the First Tuesday/Vodacom Mobile Applications Awards we wish to highlight to the public the life-enhancing and lifesaving use of mobile technologies,” says BulkSMS.com MD Pieter Streicher.

“A key benefit of SMS is that it is the only technology that can instantaneously contact a targeted group of people regardless of their location.”

The closing date for award submissions is Wednesday, 20 October at 5pm.

Related story:
Dodgy SMS services feel WASPA's sting

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