Cashing on the phenomenal growth of Twitter since a year, Airtel is launching a third-party application that allows you to receive Twitter SMS updates directly onto your phone called “tweetSMS”.
Initially when Twitter was launched, they had SMS updates option and they were sending the users their replies and their friends updates via SMS but somewhere in 2008 Twitter stopped sending free SMS updates to users, and instead started teaming up with different service providers around the world to create an economical and easy way to get SMS updates on your phone. In India, Twitter has teamed up exclusively with Airtel to offer the SMS service for an unknown period of time.
Atul Bindal, President, Airtel Mobile Services added that this is one of their consumer-connect initiative to help retain high-end customers and also bring in more subscribers, especially the youth brigrade onto their network. Kunal Bajaj, MD of consulting firm BDA Connect. agreed to Mr. Bindal’s Statement and added that the launch of tweetSMS is clearly intended as a retention and brand image play rather than a revenue play. However, after mobile number portability is introduced, it could help attract other subscribers to the Airtel network.
To signup for tweetSMS, An Airtel subscriber simply has to SMS Signup to 53000 and then follow the instructions that comes via SMS to complete the registration process and start tweeting. This application allows you to stay in touch with your twitter friends and also update your status without needing any internet connection on your phone. However note that the cost would be Rs 1/SMS sent.
(via)