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Kenya: Press Releases: Yu Launch Voice SMS Service in Kenya on Kirusa Platforms |
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Monday, 18 April 2011 |
Nairobi/New Providence, 18 April 2011: Yu, the mobile phone brand of Essar Telecom Kenya Ltd, and Kirusa, the leading global developer of mobile value added services (VAS), today announced the launch of the first ever voice SMS service in Kenya.
The voice SMS service is available to all yu subscribers, on all mobile handsets, and allows them to send and reply messages by voice, eliminating the need to type. It enables the subscribers to communicate faster, with greater ease, and convey emotions as compared to limitations imposed by text messages. Use of voice SMS by mobile subscribers is gaining global traction, for its benefits in enabling people to communicate on the go. Subscribers have to pay KES1 for sending, replying, or forwarding voice SMS messages.
Commenting on the launch, yu Country Manager Madhur Taneja, said: “We are excited to be presenting our subscribers with this innovative means of communication. This revolutionary service will be very handy for certain people with disabilities who might find it difficult to type on phones. Kirusa’s solution comes with proven success as well as a platform that supports several additional value added services.”
To use the new service yu subscribers can dial ‘*’ followed by the number of the person they wish to send the message to, and speak a short message for up to 30 seconds in any language. The recipient gets a notification message from the sender and can dial *0* to hear new voice messages. Previously received voice messages can be listened to by dialing *1*. First listen is free. Repeat listen is priced at KES0.50.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Inderpal Singh Mumick, CEO and founder of Kirusa, said: “We are very pleased to have been selected by yu for the launch of value-added services for their subscribers. This win and the subsequent launch are testimony to our positioning in the marketplace as an eminent and trusted VAS partner to mobile carriers worldwide.”
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