US Airways takes to texting

US Airways says it is the first airline to implement technology that offers on-demand flight status and frequent-flyer registration via text messaging, states Bizjournals.

The airline, says travellers can check the status of their flights by texting their flight number to Textus (839887). US Airways will then reply with real-time flight data, including arrival and departure times as well as gate information.

"Through our innovative text programme, US Airways has found another way to utilise technology for increased customer service," Travis Christ, VP of sales and marketing, said in a written statement.

ComNeon, a supplier of protocol stack software for mobile communications, and TJAT, a mobile Web 2.0 player, demonstrated seamless IMS/SIP access to Web-based instant messaging communities such as ICQ and MSN, reports Emediawire.

The demonstration at the GSM Mobile Asia Congress in Macau comprised the ComNeon IMS Device Framework running on a mobile terminal and the TJAT instant messaging solution.

It can be instantly deployed in legacy networks without an IMS server in place, as the server is being emulated. The solution is IMS/SIP compliant, making it ready for future IMS network enhancements already planned by most network operators.

GoldMail launched a voiceover messaging application that combines voice and graphic images in a rich media presentation, says eWeek.

The goal is to make messages more memorable than blas'e text-based messaging. Guy Longworth, CEO of GoldMail, said that text e-mail is limited by an impersonal tone that flattens messages in ways that can lead to misunderstandings.

"I`ve often had the experience where I`d have to read back the message because I`m worried about what someone will take out of it," Longworth said.