By Fredrick Obura
A company’s success can be derived from working marketing strategies. Depending on the nature of the business, creating awareness presents a number of challenges.
However, with the emergence of both short message services (SMS) and Multimedia Messaging Services (MMS), the process may appear achievable. Television and radio stations have also capitalised on technology to allow live audience participation in some of their programmes.
KenTEXT software allows one to send up to 10,000 short messages at a single click. All one has to do is simply upload a list of recipients from a single Excel file or a text file.
"Instead of crafting a message and then sending it to each client, one message is created and then sent to a whole group of clients," says Mr Steve Gitau, a software developer at E-tec Supplies Ltd.
READ MORE
Hashtag kind of debate drowns facts on critical national issues
Trade crippled as South Sudan imposes new levy
It generates the text messages to the target audience list making it easier for the sender who does not need to retype the message several times to different mobile numbers.
Function
"If used accurately, the web-based communication tool could assist professionals like doctors to remind patients of appointments. Companies can use the technology in sending messages to employees regarding meetings," he says.
It could also enable financial institutions like banks send account balances to clients. SMS messaging server software sends SMS and text messages to pagers, mobile phones and messages can be delivered through the Internet, modems, and direct serial connections.
The system fetches information from a large database and sending it in text form to either GSM or CDMA cellular network. The message can either be one-way or interactive.
"KenTEXT solutions include a variety of Corporate and Personal products packaged to suit needs of businesses," says Gitau. "One can assign either a company’s name, his or her name to the sender ID," he adds.
The communication tool ensures that there are no duplicates and returns reports for each message individually as delivered. The reports are delivered on the sender’s account.
options
The message is sent manually, automatically, by alerts or by triggers that are specified by the site administrator. A company needs an Internet connection, PC software and bulk sms solution that plugs in to a database to benefit from this service.
"Each message sent via our service is reported by our systems and you are able to monitor each delivered SMS and determine inactive numbers," says Gitau, adding that this gives quality assurance of the service. Web SMS can be scheduled based on priority and not necessarily immediately.
