New SMS services to be launched

MYANMAR’S mobile phone users will soon be able to receive their horsocopes via SMS.
E-trade Myanmar Co Ltd, which already provides commodity prices and football results, has announced – barring unforeseen circumstances, of course – that it will also provide a daily horoscope service. Along with this – call it the Soothsaying Message Service – the company will also offer contact information on local hospitals and clinics.
Marketing manager Daw May Thawdar Soe said the new services could be either prepaid or by monthly subscription. She said the horoscopes would cover love affairs, business, health and social matters.
“When we did a survey, we found that most of our subscribers – including businesspeople – believe and are interested in horoscopes,” she said, adding that users have to send name, age and birth date to phone numbers designated by the company in order to receive their predictions. The company is also negotiating with hospitals and clinics for a service that would show doctors’ duty time in each hospital and its phone numbers. The company will text users if they’ve already booked to see the doctor on a specific date.
Users can also enquire according to categories – disease, doctor, hospitals and clinics’ names – by sending an SMS, and they can find detailed addresses and phone numbers on the company’s website (http://www.etmsms.com).

Voice mail service

AN IT company that offers voice mail for GSM mobile phones plans to extend the service to landline phones before the end of the year.
A spokesman for Information Technology Central Services (ITCS) said subscribers could access messages left for them by dialling a designated code number. Subscription fees have not yet been set, but they will include an initial set-up fee of K2000 and a monthly bill of K1000 for voice mail.

Free GIS maps

THREE companies are collaborating to provide free geographical information system (GIS) maps and data to organisations working in Nargis relief efforts.
Myanmar Credent Technology, Concordia International and Design Printing Services companies said they will install maps and data directly onto the global positioning systems of donors.
“These organisations need detailed maps and we think that by offering to install these maps for free we can help in some way,” said U Zaw Naing, spokesperson for Myanmar Credent Technology adding that information will be provided on CD if requested. Interested parties can contact Myanmar Credent Technology by telephone on 652 285.