Desktop SMS Systems

Continuing on with my list of dangers:

• List Brokering
• E-mail to SMS Gateways
• Desktop SMS Systems
• Misrepresenting mobile marketing effectiveness

Today's topic is: Desktop SMS Systems

What is a Desktop SMS System?

SMS messages are predominantly originated from a mobile phone or other mobile device. The message is sent from one subscriber to another - or at most to a small group of other subscribers. Desktop SMS Systems allow for the sending of SMS messages directly from a personal computer either through a dedicated application or via a web interface.

Desktop SMS Systems are a fantastic tool and are especially welcomed by those in the Enterprise space (Enterprise: Small-Medium sized businesses) as a means to communicate with their sales or other teams in the field. No more typing in messages through the tiny buttons on the mobile phone. No more addressing the message one phone number at a time. Just type in the message directly through your PC, select the list of people you'd like to send the message to and BANG! It's done.

Now - I didn't choose the word BANG! completely by accident.

Using These Systems to SPAM

These same systems could just as easily be used by the less than respectable business people who wish to SPAM subscribers from their mobile phones. All it takes is to go out and buy a dodgy list of mobile phone numbers from a list broker (see my other BLOG entry of 16-December on List Brokers) and BANG! you can SPAM a load of people directly from your PC. And as a business, you can very quickly and easily kill your brand -- BANG!

In the US/North American market many of these desktop SMS systems utilize the E-mail to SMS Gateways (see my post of 17-December) for the sending of SMS messages. This means that the messages sent will be subjected to the same SPAM filtering that any other generic e-mail interface will use. You should also note then that if you want to take the time to learn the special e-mail address for your team - you can do everything that a desktop SMS system can do - and do it directly from our e-mail program like Eudora or Outlook.

In Europe - these desktop SMS systems are a bit more savvy and actually connect to the GSM network via an aggregator. It's the aggregator who is held repsonsible for the sending of the SMS messages and it's them who will monitor the content. And it's the aggregator who will shut you off faster than you can say Monty Python if you misbehave badly enough that even one of the big mobile operators complains. So in Europe, these desktop SMS systems are actually a much smaller threat than in the US/North America market.

Promoting Mobile Marketing

I was talking with Maureen Scott from Openwave Systems about this topic just this morning. Maureen was quick to point out that the SMS adoption was broadly helped by these desktop systems in the early days. Not so much from a consumer adoption perspective - but from a business adoption perspective.

Maureen is actively promoting responsible permission based mobile marketing and the potential of this new route to market. With SMS, MMS, WAP already gaining significant traction - and with video and videomail quickly coming to market with 3G services - the future is positively rife with possibility.

Capturing an Opt-In Preference?

I'm currently running a small SMS content and subscription service in the UK and in the US. Regardless of the country, both of my SMS aggregators are very emphatic that I not SPAM people and request that I have a verifiable Opt-In from my consumers before I send them any messages.

In most cases this Opt-In must occur when the subscriber sends a message from their mobile phone requesting the content. This subscriber generated messages creates a log entry at the mobile operator, at the aggregator and with the content provider (in this case - me). Should the consumer ever claim they are being SPAM'd - we all have the detailed record to fall back on when the consumer specifically chose to Opt-In to the content. This subscriber generated opt-in is far superior to other means of both hard and soft opt-in.

So - now that we understand how it should work - Riddle me this Batman?!

• How can a business using a desktop SMS dystem designed only to SEND SMS messages capture a traceable opt-in preference?

Desktop SMS systems as described are only for sending SMS messages. As they use an e-mail interface they may not have any ability to receive an SMS message. And even if the phone could send to the e-mail address of the desktop system, it might not leave the required log in the mobile network operators systems. In short - the answer is - you can't.

(NOTE: I expect there will be a half a dozen or so comments to this - telling me exactly how you do it. I'm looking for them so please bring it on!)

Responsibility of the Vendors

Back to the BANG! Not unlike a gun dealer - the vendors of desktop SMS systems must assume certain responsibilities for how their products will be used. It would be enormously helpful if each license of the Desktop SMS System included a bold disclaimer indicating that the business must adhere to all appliable legislative, regulatory and industry codes of conduct - and that inappropriate use of this tool will void the license agreement in its entirety.

The language should be sufficient to address not only those who know how to use the system to SPAM customers - but should also address the small and medium sized businesses that simply don't know any better. The facts of the matter are simply this:

• There are some people that don't know it's illegal to send mobile SPAM.
  
• There are some people that see absolutely nothing wrong in promoting their businesses through mobile marketing and can't see why anyone would object. (Ah - bless those poor innocents)
  
• There are some businesses that don't yet understand that today's consumers are marketing averse and will hold you either a.) in high regard for asking permission first - or b.) tar and feather you and your brand for SPAMing them!

So what's the Net-Net?

The Net-Net is that Desktop SMS Systems are a fantastic tool that can be used to communicate with field teams and/or to run small permission based mobile marketing programs. But they are also tools which can be misused and abused to send mobile SPAM directly into people's pockets.

It falls to the responsibility of the Desktop SMS Vendors to promote responsible use of their tools as well as to promote the legislative, regulatory and industry codes of practice that define responsible - permsission based - mobile marketing campaigns.



TRIVIA:
Oh yes! - And What's the Monty Python Reference?

The original Monty Python SPAM skit seems to be the origin for the word SPAM as it is currently and commonly used in today's context of unsolicited commercial e-mail.