Google Labs in India has launched Google SMS channel

[Aadarsh]

Google Labs in India have launched their latest mobile service named Google SMS channel. Google SMS channel service is designed to enable users to send free group SMS messages. Currently, in a pilot phase, Google is testing the product in India and intends to launch it to global audiences later. It supports English, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada languages. No commercial date for the launch has been announced.

The SMS channel was fully conceptualised by Google India Labs. Prasad Ram, head (R&D), Google India, says, “The SMS channel is in line with our endeavour to connect the 250-million mobile subscribers who have no access to information.”

The service currently does not use any form of advertising in the messages but it might be added after the commercial launch.

Unlike other group SMS providers, Google’s SMS channel does not add any advertisement on the message footer, so group publishers get full 160 character messages to post. But Prasad is not ruling out monetary opportunity from embedded advertisements during the commercial launch. “Banner advertisement and contextual marketing can be among many ways to monetise this channel.”

At present, Google allows publishers to create individual channels and publish content that other users can subscribe to after registering with valid mobile numbers. Google expects non-governmental organisations (NGOs), corporates and schools among others to create groups over SMS for communication and regular updates.

Subscribers to this service can currently join as many as 30 channels. He would however not receive more than 10 SMS messages a day.

Message senders can deliver the message using a web based interface and the subscribers can set the time when they want to receive the messages.

The Google service looks like an improved version of existing group messaging services such as Zook, SMSgupshup and Mytoday. Zook had recently announced an alert service that enables users to track local shopping deals or movie and content updates such as events, weather, traffic, cricket news among others. Google’s SMS channel can work great for publishers as they get a dedicated marketing hook to keep users engaged, which none of the other services offer. For instance, a neighbourhood bookstore on SMS channel can inform subscribers about new titles and special offers.

[SureshS]

I will use this to chat with my friends and best part of Google SMS channel it's free. So now we can send Free SMS

[Omkara]

Now we can one can subscribe to a maximum of 30 channels and by default receive a maximum of 10 SMSes per day from Google SMS channel. A content publisher doesn’t need a mobile phone to send an SMS to his group as there’s an option in Google SMS channel that lets him compose and send SMS via the web itself.

[Dings]

Can some one provide me Link of Google SMS channel. And is any one login over there ? Can some one tell me about login process.

Thanks.

[Amol21]

Google SMS Channels is Google’s solution to SMS groups message broadcasting and subscription. This is a free service. You don’t pay anything to send or receive messages using Google SMS Channels website. When you post a message to your channel, all the members of your channel get the message forwarded for free. Any Indian mobile number will work with this service.

Google SMS Channel uses the normal number 9870807070. So if you sens any SMS then charge you incur is as low as you sending an SMS to your friend. There is no charge for receiving the updates.

Just use gmail login id for login then subscribe enter your name and phone no. you will receive verification code through SMS on your mobile. Now u can create your own Channels and subscribe any channels.

[Users]

To create a channel using phone, send the following SMS to 9870807070

CREATE <channel name> <description>

The Channel name should be at least 8 characters long.I have created a channel for Techarena.in using the format

CREATE TecharenaWebNews Updates from TechArena.in on SMS, mobile, web development, information technology, management and the internet

This creates a public channel with name TecharenaWebNews.

[Bingo]

Hey
Thanks for information users i created My Google SMS channel. Now i can send SMS to my friends.

[rupak]

Hey guys thats a good news even i was waiting for such program from google!
I know about such services Lets see how well it does!

[hithuanand]

thank u google

[namangoel]

how to activate msg facility pl help me out

[namangoel]

how to activate msg facility pl help me out

[galen]

This is pretty interesting and innovative. It provide us with another avenue to communication. Hope this will be open to users all over the world soon.

[hithuanand]

if ur in gmail go to google labs ,sms channel will be de enter ur no. name n code to get alerts of ur choice