A new SMS service that breaks the language barrier

IMImobile launches My SMS app in 8 Indian languages.

IMIMobile, a Hyderabad-based VAS infrastructure and services enabler for mobile operators, launched on Monday a new service – My SMS – which breaks the language barrier in India. To start with, this service is available in eight major languages – English, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Gujarati, Marathi and Bangla.

My SMS is an SMS-based application which allows users to request SMS services in their native language and get messages in requested language on demand. The application allows a user to receive SMS in his very own language irrespective of the make of his handset.

It can be provided as a white-label application for telecom operators, media companies, device manufacturers, media companies and enterprises.

“With over 1.21 billion people, India witnessed the remarkable telecom revolution which helped increase mobile penetration. However, the huge diversity, with more than 1,000 dialects and 29 spoken languages, has created a communication barrier where operators find it hard to information enable their entire user base. This has also resulted in less than optimal uptakes of SMS-based services,” Vishwanath Alluri, founder and chief executive of IMImobile, said in a press release.

The barrier is further stretched with the literacy level of 74 per cent, which is still below the world average of 84 per cent. Also most devices on Monday are inherently incapable of rendering Indian language content on their screens, he added.

“Through My SMS, we plan to break the language barrier which has been a huge roadblock for the penetration of the telecom revolution. We want to empower users, especially in the rural areas, to enjoy the benefits of this revolution in their own language,” Alluri said.