Comments on: Google Gets Mobile, Launches "Google SMS"

By: John Ebiman

John Ebiman — Thu, 13 Jan 2005 00:44:41 +0000

Has any one tried 411sms.com. We provide 411 via sms in the US and via email from cellphones in the UK and France. We also overcome the shortcode problems T-mobile and VirginUsa have with google sms by providing a 10 digit number (3109043113). It does everything that google sms does and more (like you can just send “pizza” without the city or state if you are searching in or around your areacode.

By: Mark Jacobs

Mark Jacobs — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 22:06:58 +0000

This is great! I hear Google plans to call this service GMOBILE. How cool! This company is really going to kick ass. Watch out, Microsoft! Gmail, GMobile, G0-Google!

By: ken

ken — Sun, 17 Oct 2004 19:20:26 +0000

correction. it didn’t work with my T-mobile prepay phone…. what kind of crap is that?

By: ken

ken — Sun, 17 Oct 2004 19:18:37 +0000

tested Google SMS with T-mobile a bunch of times. Let me tell you IT DOESN’T WORK AT ALL. It works flawlessly for Cingular but not T-mobile. That really suck

By: Fred Squires

Fred Squires — Fri, 15 Oct 2004 16:47:21 +0000

Dear Sirs,
Just wanted to make a comment regarding Google SMS. Google sweard thar T-Mobile supports the new SMS software and yet when I talk to T-Mobile CEO assistant they tell me Google is not supported by T-Mobile.
Just my two cents worth

By: Peter Pentchev

Peter Pentchev — Wed, 13 Oct 2004 01:24:19 +0000

Ack… my trackback ping from http://extelligence.ringlet.net/roam/archives/000282.html failed, for a somewhat ironic, if quite valid in today’s spam-infested blogspace, reason Still, it’s good to see a giant make yet another step towards mobile applications…

By: Bart

Bart — Fri, 08 Oct 2004 08:29:50 +0000

The significance of this is the entry of a real competitor to the large, but monopolistic, market of directory assistance. (The US DA is $6 billion in 2004).

Here in Europe, we have had de-regulation of these markets, so there is real choice in who you dial (and the regulators have mostly refused to allow the incumbents to keep their 411-equivalents, levelling the playing field). This has naturally lead to cutthroat competition and a wealth of new choices.

SMS has been a part of our DA/DQ landscape for some time, and has made a serious impact in many markets. In Norway, 35% of DA/DQ is now done via SMS.

Some of the new DA/DQ competitors have realized that they must be a complete "local search" solution, and so are entering into the Internet space.

For instance, the leading UK provider, The Number 118118, has just launched a full local search website, in direct competition to the leading Yellow Pages. [Full disclosure: they are a customer of ours, using our Internet local search technology.]

In the coming "local search" battles, we see DA/DQ providers (in Europe at least) as the third major force, alongside search engines and Yellow Pages, competing to win the local online advertising dollar.

Interestingly, Google's latest SMS offering is free, but they could just as easily used premium-rate SMS.

It all makes you wonder - if the US market de-regulates, will Google launch a directory assistance number? I'd say it is a given...

Finally, a note on Mike's comment above - no, it certainly is not innovative, but at least it is a comprehensive replacement for DA/DQ. Both of the useless services you mention are LBS "Find my nearest" services; you can't do any search by business name, nor look up any private phone numbers. You are required to use a limited range of one-word categories to find what you need.

By: jerry

jerry — Thu, 07 Oct 2004 18:05:05 +0000

A startup company http://www.hotref.com founded by couple former netscape engineers claim they are providing better search technology than google, with additional functionalities to manage the search results.

By: jerry

jerry — Thu, 07 Oct 2004 18:04:56 +0000

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 07 Oct 2004 17:50:51 +0000

ha! innovative?... GOOG launches this 3.5 years after Webraska/Airflash and 6 months after Orange UK

SmartSMS press release:
http://www.wirelessdevnet.com/news/2001/37/news1.html

Orange UK:
http://www.webraska.com/News/PressReleases_Show.php?pr=20040524_orange

Viag interkom release:
http://www.wirelessdevnet.com/news/2001/255/news6.html