Buongiorno Launches New SMS Application For Android: mysms

LOS GATOS, California, November 17, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --

- Text Messages Still the Second Most Used Application (After Voice), With Usage Numbers Still Growing

- Thanks to mysms, Users Can Save up to 50 Percent of Their SMS Expenses, and the First 10 SMS' Are Free

Buongiorno SpA, global leader in mobile entertainment, announces today - with its subsidiary sms.at - the launch of mysms, a new SMS application for Android. The international application can be used instead of the preinstalled SMS software, allowing the sending of SMS messages at a cheaper rate for the user.

The application gives the user the option to use mysms or the preinstalled SMS software on the Android smartphone, enabling them to select their own tariff and choose how SMS messages are sent. The user can choose to send messages via mysms, at a cost of GBP0.07 for national and GBP0.09 for international SMS', or via the network operator, where the fee is determined by the network operator itself. Thanks to mysms, users can save up to 50 percent of their SMS expense.

Additional features on offer with the application include group send, personalisation and SMS pop-up. The group send feature enables multiple sending to different groups of people, and allows contacts to be synchronised with either those in the phonebook or those being managed directly in the application itself. In terms of personalisation, the signature feature, for example, will enable smartphone users to automatically sign off their messages. And finally, when receiving an SMS message, a pop-up window automatically appears, enabling the user to immediately read and reply to the message directly via pop-up - without having to close the current application in use.

Martin Pansy, General Manager of sms.at, part of Buongiorno Group, said: "I am very pleased to launch our new SMS application for Android. Through this service, our users can benefit from huge cost savings and the application offers a great range of additional features. This development supports our goal to provide SMS services directly on mobile devices via the mobile internet. The application exploits Buongiorno's competencies in the traditional mobile entertainment as well as the skills in the development of smartphone applications."

Following a successful test phase in Austria, the application is now available in 5 countries - including the UK - where, according to recent data from GfK Retail and Technology research, smartphone adoption is skyrocketing, with penetration in the contract mobile devices market in the UK reaching 73.5% in June this year. Android has an average penetration of 2% in the 5 largest European countries (source: Comscore data) and analysts estimate that this will grow to 25% in the medium term - with a potential global market of over 700 million. Mysms adds to Buongiorno's existing portfolio of smartphone applications, which includes Hellotxt - the personal social networker for Iphone, iPad and Android, and Applistars - a launching pad for Buongiorno's mobile content in the world of iPhone applications.

SMS' are still the most used application after voice, representing 15% of the time spent by smartphone users, and their global usage number continues to grow.

The application can be downloaded by the Android Market or by visiting http://www.mysms.com and quoting the code QR. Country-specific versions are available in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.

The iPhone version of the application will be available by the end of the year.

For further information visit mysms.com, or the Facebook Fan Page or follow mysms on Twitter.com/mysms.com @mysmscom.

[email protected]; Tel. +39-02-582131

SOURCE Buongiorno Spa