| Google Labs in India have launched their latest mobile | | | | character messages to post. But Prasad is not ruling |
| service named Google SMS channel. Google SMS | | | | out monetary opportunity from embedded |
| channel service is designed to enable users to send | | | | advertisements during the commercial launch. |
| free group SMS messages. Currently, in a pilot phase, | | | | “Banner advertisement and contextual marketing |
| Google is testing the product in India and intends to | | | | can be among many ways to monetise this |
| launch it to global audiences later. It supports English, | | | | channel.” |
| Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada | | | | At present, Google allows publishers to create |
| languages. No commercial date for the launch has | | | | individual channels and publish content that other |
| been announced. | | | | users can subscribe to after registering with valid |
| The SMS channel was fully conceptualised by Google | | | | mobile numbers. Google expects non-governmental |
| India Labs. Prasad Ram, head (R&D), Google India, | | | | organisations (NGOs), corporates and schools among |
| says, “The SMS channel is in line with our | | | | others to create groups over SMS for communication |
| endeavour to connect the 250-million mobile | | | | and regular updates. |
| subscribers who have no access to information.” | | | | Subscribers to this service can currently join as many |
| The service currently does not use any form of | | | | as 30 channels. He would however not receive more |
| advertising in the messages but it might be added | | | | than 10 SMS messages a day. |
| after the commercial launch. | | | | Google Labs in India has launched Google SMS channel |
| Google Labs in India has launched Google SMS channel | | | | Google |
| Google | | | | Message senders can deliver the message using a |
| Unlike other group SMS providers, Google's SMS | | | | web based interface and the subscribers can set the |
| channel does not add any advertisement on the | | | | time when they want to receive the messages. |
| message footer, so group publishers get full 160 | | | | |