In the States and Europe new mobile solutions for banking customers tend to be aimed at the smartphone market, offering apps for iPhones and androids alike. So I was pleased to see that in India some of the larger banks are still coming up with innovative mobile solutions that will work with the lower end of mobile handsets through SMS. 

India's central bank has been pushing the banks there to offer mobile banking solutions for a few years now, and a system is already in place in India which allows m-banking transactions between accountholders at the same bank through ordinary mobile phones and SMS. However, following the recent release of the Interbank Mobile Payment Service (IMPS) by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) this mobile solution has now been expanded to allow transactions between accountholders at some other banks. Once again the m-banking solution will support transactions from low-end phones by making use of SMS messaging. As the vast majority of mobile users in India have bog standard handsets it seems likely that the new m-banking service will be a hit with many Indian consumers.

//In the States and Europe new mobile solutions for banking customers tend to be aimed at the smartphone market, offering apps for iPhones and androids ...

Once again the European Commission is looking at the service provided by mobile network operators in the European Union. Back in July it introduced a wholesale cap on the price that can be charges to mobile network subscribers per megabyte for downloads /uploads. At the same time it established an automatic limit of €50 per month (plus tax) for travellers' data-roaming charges; though they can ask for more roaming is they want it.

Now, the Commission has turned its attentions to the tariffs charge by mobile network operators for mobile data roaming, voice and SMS. It has started a consultation amongst all 27 members of the EU. Its goal, ultimately, is to put an end to the excessively high prices charged by some networks for related services. What is more, by 2015 it wants to reduce the difference for mobile voice and roaming to zero... a tall order by my reckoning. This amounts to establishing a standard tariff right across the EU by network operators for all mobile voice, SMS and data services.

//Once again the European Commission is looking at the service provided by mobile network operators in the European Union. Back in July it introduc...

Ever feel like you were fighting a losing battle trying to get your local government to listen to you? Whether it is anger over the state of the roads or inadequate funding for a cultural project, most of us at one time or another feel frustrated and alienated by the city that we live in. So I was intrigued to learn about a new internet-based project which enables people to create and post a text message about issues in Copenhagen.

Dubbed 'Dear Copenhagen', the new online web platform allows an ordinary resident to post a text message to the City of Copenhagen about the issues that concern them. It is a micro-political project, so ideally those using it should just be texting about issue that relate to the city, not Denmark or the world at large.

//Ever feel like you were fighting a losing battle trying to get your local government to listen to you? Whether it is anger over the state of the ...

As if being a teacher wasn't hard enough already, it seems that more and more students are picking up their mobile phone and texting if they are bored during a lecture.  

Recent research in the States by two psychology professors found that a staggering 90% of students were discreetly texting friends if they were bored during class. The students viewed it as perfectly acceptable to text a friend during class if they were bored or disinterested in the lecture. Some students are so adept at sending text messages that they can text while still watching their teacher...they don't even need to see the screen!

//As if being a teacher wasn't hard enough already, it seems that more and more students are picking up their mobile phone and texting if they are bored...

For the vast majority of us, forgetting to take our medication isn’t a big deal. We simply take it as soon as we remember, and get on with getting well. But for some people not taking their medicine can be a matter of life or death. For these individuals remembering to take their medication is vitally important. So I was pleased to read recently about the success of a trial SMS-based medication reminder for HIV patients in Kenya.

The study used more that 500 HIV patients. Some participants were given just the standard care and medication, while others received the standard care and medication, plus a weekly text message sent to their cell phone. The SMS messages were discreet and usually just asked how they were and instructed them to reply to the text message indicating that they were "fine" or had a "problem". Participants that failed to reply to the text message within a couple of days or said they had a problem received a visit from a nurse.

//For the vast majority of us, forgetting to take our medication isn’t a big deal. We simply take it as soon as we remember, and get on with ...

As a bloke, I have to admit that I am not the keenest shopper around. I tend to buy just what I need when I need it. So as you can imagine Christmas tends to fill me with dread. As I dislike shopping for the most part, I usually end up running around a large department store trying to find something for the various members of my family, having left it too late to shop online. 

What I've never understood why it is that an item can be out of stock online, but in stock when you go to the actual store. Well finally I've found a store that will let me reserve an item online, for collection in store. But the really great thing about this system is that the retailer sends me a text message with the reservation number, so all I need to do when I get to the store is go to the till, read out the SMS on my phone and pay. The shop assistants do the rest. There are no numbers to write down or email to print out ...it's all there on your mobile phone.

//As a bloke, I have to admit that I am not the keenest shopper around. I tend to buy just what I need when I need it. So as you can imagine C...

I've been in the mobile industry for nearly a decade now, and with each passing year I've seen the market for mobile advertising expand. So I wasn't that surprised when I saw the predictions from Informa Telecom & Media suggesting that the revenue from global mobile advertising is likely to grow tenfold by 2015. 

Certainly I've seen a sea change in the industry as mobile marketing during the past few years as it has become increasingly popular with advertisers and consumers alike. Over the past few years there have been an increasing number of very successful mobile campaigns, with many FMC brands using a mobile marketing strategy to good effect. More importantly, the number of consumers willing to sign up to a mobile campaign has risen steadily - especially, it would seem, for those brands that offer freebies and discount vouchers. The results have been that many big brands integrate mobile campaigns into their marketing strategies almost as a matter of course. 

//I've been in the mobile industry for nearly a decade now, and with each passing year I've seen the market for mobile advertising expand. So I wasn't t...