Etisalat’s eight million customers can now post information by simply texting it to the shortcode 8900. A post can then be accessed by anyone, anywhere, with any handset, by just texting a dot (.) to the Etisalat customer’s mobile number.
The key strengths of the service are simplicity and ubiquity, said Telsis; there are over five billion mobile phones worldwide, and each one supports SMS.
Etisalat has built a strong base in the Nigerian market through a combination of innovative marketing and aggressive positioning. CEO Steven Evans said the new service, branded as Etisalat DotMe, will accelerate still further his network’s growth rate.
“DotMe is a brand new, exciting and innovative service. It will enrich the lives of our customers and their families, friends and contacts. It is a simple yet powerful SMS-based social bulletin board that serves the masses,” he remarked.
“As an instant mobile noticeboard, it allows people to publish all kinds of information from their mobile phones via SMS. DotMe is positioned to help businesses post short and quick updates that are easily available to any and every customer with a mobile phone, enabling all their contacts to stay updated on their products and services via SMS. For the young and young at heart, DotMe will serve the important purpose of helping keep friends updated on the social scene while on the go. Here at Etisalat, we have already begun to use this unique service to keep our various audiences informed on our various promotions and activities and we are seeing positive results.”