Econoserv has announced the launch of its newest SMS-based product - EconoSMS - an entry-level solution to the growing SMS market.
Keith Levenstein, Managing Director of Econoserv, explained: "As a result of the success of our long established SMS321 range, many of our customers have been asking us for a entry-level solution to easily enable them send and receive SMS. They wanted a low-cost solution, completely under their own control with low running costs.
"EconoSMS is our complete SMS solution in a box. It gives customers the ability to send and receive SMS directly from their own PC by connecting a cellphone to their computer. SMSs generated on the PC are sent via the connected cellphone at a cost of as low as 14c per SMS, and the customer does not even pay for incoming SMS.
"The EconoSMS package solution consists of our software, a special contract with MTN providing SMS at as low a cost as 14c per SMS, a free (Siemens) cellphone and the cable required to connect the cellphone directly to the PC. The entire installation usually takes no more than 10 minutes. "We are the first software company in SA to package such a complete solution for the growing SMS market."
"The EconoSMS software has many great, unique features: It has an address book, the ability to group people into mailing lists to send bulk SMS. It has templates allowing commonly used SMS to be stored for later use. There is a schedule feature that allows SMS to be captured today, but sent at a later time, for example birthday or renewal notices, or confirmation of appointments. SMS can even be personalised to reflect the recipients first name or surname, even with bulk SMS. EconoSMS has the capacity to deliver up to 50 000 SMS per month.
The receipt of SMS is a useful feature as it opens a completely new channel of communication.
"Many people are beginning to realise that SMS is a genuine communications tool - not only used for marketing, but used as an information tool to their customers and staff in a low cost, fast manner: Scheduling and confirmation of appointments, notifications of delivery of goods. "One of our SMS321 customers sends an automatic `thank you` SMS to his customers every time they deposit money into his bank account."
EconoSMS is aimed at the small business that needs the ability to communicate easily and at low cost with its customers without expensive initial costs or long term overheads. For example, it is already proving popular among video store operators. One video shop owner is using it very successfully to remind his customers to return the videos they have rented. Previously it would entail an intrusive telephone call - now he politely SMSs the customer at one-tenth the cost of a telephone call.
"EconoSMS complements our existing range of SMS321 software," explained Levenstein. "SMS321 is our networked version, which was the first locally developed solution and is the oldest commercially available SMS GSM solution in SA.
"EconoSMS is being marketed via our dealer network as well as through computer retailers. The entire solution consists of our SMS software, a special contract with MTN to get lowest SMS costs (as low as 14c), a free Siemens cellphone and the data cable to connect the cellphone to the PC. There are no extra initial infrastructure costs or high running costs."
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