Monday, 30 June 2008

Friendster Alerts Go Mobile

Social networking site Friendster has introduced Friendster Text Alerts, a suite of alerts covering activity on ones Friendster network, sent directly to their mobile devices via text messages

This new capability, which will be available for users in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines will allow Friendster users to receive text message alerts for friend requests, new messages, comments, bulletins and more. When such activity takes place within their network of friends on Friendster, they will receive a text message on their mobile phone. Users will also be able to share and communicate on Friendster by sending a text message to Friendster to update content on their profile, such as shoutouts and bulletins, send messages, and reply to friend requests.

According to Friendster, this new capability will increase timely communication among users and support and encourage network activity while Friendster users are away from a computer.

“Recent studies have shown that about 90% of Asia’s mobile phone subscribers use SMS text messaging, and some of the highest per subscriber usage of text messaging is in countries in Southeast Asia. It’s only natural to combine the most popular mobile feature – text messaging – with the most popular social network in Asia,” said David Jones, vice president of global marketing for Friendster.

“Since SMS text messaging technology is universally available on over 1.2 billion mobile phones in use today in Asia, all of our 52 million users in Asia that have mobile phones can subscribe to Friendster Text Alerts and stay connected when they are on the go and away from a computer.”

Friendster Text Alerts is Friendster’s second mobile offering and complements Friendster’s successful mobile site, m.friendster.com, launched in May 2008.

Friendster is the 7th largest website in the world and the #1 social network in Asia.