A recent study conducted between October 25th and November 5th, 2010, by Burson-Marsteller, a global communications firm, with its partner firm, Proof Integrated Communications, a digital and integrated marketing communications firm, found that as high as sixty-two percent of Fortune 50 companies are reading out to their customers and other key business stakeholders using mobile mass SMS, and yet, few know about it. The study by Burson-Marsteller and Proof Integrated Communications examined whether Fortune 50 companies were offering mobile-optimized websites, mobile apps, SMS gateway/text messaging, or two-dimensional barcodes known as quick response (QR) codes to effectively communication with their external audiences.

While a high portion of these high profile companies are regularly leveraging the SMS API for mobile communications, fewer than half of the same companies market their mobile offering on their corporate websites. Other findings from the study include:

• Twenty-two percent of companies communicating with stakeholders through SMS.
• Forty-three percent of companies enabling their websites for mobile transactions, such as shopping, updating account information, refilling prescriptions and transferring money.
• Twenty-two percent of companies placing QR codes in magazines, billboards, or other locations to deliver relevant content to smartphone users.


With so many customers accessing the Internet through mobile devices, companies need to consider not only having mobile offerings but also promoting them. The implementation and display of QR codes is certainly helping companies let their consumers and partners know a number of details about their product offerings, the lack of relative advertising about their mobile offerings still leaves many consumers – even those on the fence about purchasing a smartphone – wondering where the value lies.


With devastating floods in across Singapore and regions of Australia causing destruction and the loss of human life last couple of years, many local governments have announced a group SMS alert service to warn the public of impending floods. The Environment and Water Resources minister, Yaacob Ibraham, said this service which is based on a PC to mobile SMS scenario is offered free to building owners and schools in flood-prone areas.

Asked by Dr. Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, the Marine Parade GRC, how the system fared during recent trials, Dr. Yaacob said that the feedback indicated the system was well utilised. While options are being examined for SMS from e-mail and e-mail to SMS for additional communication methods, those have not yet been implemented.

Plans exist to extend the system as widely as possible, and interested users can subscribe to the service, which is provided by the natural water agency. Warnings are sent when there is heavy rain or when the water levels in drains near homes and workplaces rise. Water levels are monitored through sensors installed in the drainage network.

Alerts are sent when the capacity in the nearest drain or canal reaches 75 percent capacity. Another alert is sent when the capacity reaches 90 percent, so citizens have time to move to safety.

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