'Anywhere, any device' messaging product

By Anand Parthasarathy

KOCHI, NOV. 13. A product developed in a small Bangalore software outfit earlier known as ``Gray Cell'', has emerged as a market leader in a crucial niche of Internet-based communication systems: exchanging text messages between desktop computers and mobile devices any where in the world.

The product, ``Unimobile'' was developed in Bangalore just over a year ago by a core team of Indian engineers led by 30 year old Mr. Rajesh T. S. Reddy - then transported to the U.S. Silicon Valley for ``productising''. Globally launched as a free download from the www.unimobile.com website, the tiny programme quickly gained a loyal following of 7.50 lakh users in 120 countries who liked the idea of sending text messages from their desktop PCs to virtually any type of mobile platform - cellular phone, pager, notebook or hand held computer. Unimobile worked with any ``GSM'' device - the global standard for mobile wireless telephone, followed by most of the world including India.

In an exclusive telephonic talk with this correspondent, Mr. Vasudev (``Vas'') Bhandarkar, Unimobile's President and CEO, now passing through India, stated that the company had just released the new, Version 3, of the product, which boasted significant improvements.For one, the Unimobile website itself now serves as a sort of ``cyber telephone exchange'', allowing users to route text messages to other platforms, without having to download the special software.

A second upgrade effected by the Bangalore and California-based company in recent weeks, allows users of mobile devices with WAP (wireless applications protocol) to immediately implement two way global text messaging with other mobiles and even with non-WAP devices like desktop PCs.

``With the new improvements, we are now able to offer a service to enterprises who want to embed the text messaging system into their networks'', Mr. Bhandarkar told this correspondent, while assuring Unimobile's ``charter members'' that the free service to lay users would continue to be offered.

Mr. Bhandarkar also revealed that the company was putting the finishing touches to two further improvements that would make Unimobile a product with a unique niche: the ability to detect if the phone or device called was on or off - and to establish where exactly in the world, the called party was positioned. Unimobile's user base is spread over South Asia, Europe and the U.S. - in that order. What began as a `garage' operation by a group of Bangalore computer nuts may yet end up a global market leader in Net-based messaging.

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Section  : Business
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