SMS.ac, Inc.

Infobox_Company
company_name = SMS.ac Inc.
company_
company_type = Private
foundation = 2001
location = San Diego, California, USA
key_people = Michael Pousti, Chairman and CEO
industry = Telephony, Mobile, Internet
products = SMS messaging revenue = unknown
net_income = unknown
num_employees = 100-200
homepage = [http://www.sms.ac www.sms.ac]

SMS.ac Inc. is a mobile data and Internet communications company based in San Diego, California. According to its website, the company provides web and mobile distribution and billing to people buying and selling digital content (video, music, and applications) through (SMS) mobile billing. SMS.ac's website integrates its mobile billing technology with social networking services like photos, videos, music, and comments. [cite web | url=http://www.sms.ac/ | title=SMS.ac Mobile Homepage service | publisher=SMS.ac] SMS.ac has over 50 million registered users in more than 180 countries.Fact|date=August 2008 In its prior incarnation, it was accused of spamming users with text messages. In it's current incarnation, fanbox, it has been accused of phishing for users e-mail passwords and then spamming those in their address books. [cite web | url=http://spamhuntress.com/2007/12/15/smsac-turns-into-fanbox/ | title=SMS.ac turns into fanbox | publisher=spamhuntress.com]

Business model

SMS.ac derives its revenue through revenue-sharing arrangements with content providers and mobile operators. Specifically, the company enables content providers to bill subscribers for consumption of video, music, and widgets through SMS-based (text message) mobile billing.Fact|date=January 2008

Brief History

2008

* SMS.ac creates the spin-off site fanbox.com, an ad-driven social networking website. [ [http://whois.domaintools.com/fanbox.com DomainTools Whois Record for FanBox.com] ]
* Fanbox.com has been accused of generating spam e-mails and being a phishing scam. [ [http://gadgetpanel.com/2008/03/19/fanbox-is-spam/ Fanbox is Spam.] ]

2006

*During the wireless conference, CTIA 2006, SMS.ac received news coverage by enabling content developers to get paid by "moving into mobile content distribution" and allowing consumers to pay through their mobile devices.cite web | url=http://www.moconews.net/entry/ctia-smsac-reinvents-itself-as-content-distributor | title= Fast Company: mocoNews.net | publisher=mocoNews.net]
* An article in the International Herald Tribune, while praising the service's integrated billing option, noted that "SMS.ac is one of those right-place, right-time, right-technology companies that has nearly all the elements for colossal success. But it also has hovering over it a big red flag that could wrong-foot it at any moment...At least a handful of consumers...have complained on the Internet and in the mainstream press that SMS.ac has charged them for services they never asked for, making that billing relationship into potentially its greatest liability."cite web | url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/02/22/business/ptend23.php | title= The End User: Noticing a red flag | publisher=International Herald Tribune]

2005

*SMS.ac is recognized as one of the "the top emerging companies in the wireless industry" by Fierce Wireless's "Fierce 15".cite web | url=http://www.fiercewireless.com/Fierce15/2005 | title= Fierce Wireless | publisher=Fierce Wireless]
*SMS.ac is noted in the blog community for its vigorous legal defense of intellectual property such as trademarks, word marks and service marks. [cite web | url=http://joi.ito.com/crap/ITOCeaseDesist.doc | title=Notice Of Infringement Of Intellectual Property Rights/Defamation | publisher=Joi Ito (.doc)]
*An article by the Chicago Tribune accused the company of spamming. A claim in the article that "an e-mail account password is necessary to register with sms.ac's text messaging service" was later retracted. [cite web | url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/yourmoney/sns-yourmoney-0501reality,0,5712434.story | title=Message to the wise about text trick | publisher=Chicago Tribune] [cite web | url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/831851841.html?dids=831851841:831851841&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May+4%2C+2005&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&edition=&startpage=2&desc=CORRECTIONS+AND+CLARIFICATIONS | title=Corrections and Clarifications | publisher=Chicago Tribune]

2002

*At the time of its launch, SMS.ac made history by signing up "nearly 6 million users in its first six months – making it the fastest product launch in Internet history".cite web | url=http://www.fastcompany.com/online/62/speedometer.html | title= Fast Company: Speedometer | publisher=Fast Company]

ee also

* Micropayments
* Marketplace
* Social Network
* User generated content
* Spam (electronic)
* Phishing

References

External links

* [http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/156/RipOff0156938.htm Ripoff Report] – Report: SMS.ac
* [http://www.mobiletracker.net/archives/2005/04/03/scam-spam-or-fun-sms.sc Complaints about SMS.ac]
* [http://www.forbes.com/home/wireless/2005/06/22/messaging-wireless-smsac-cz_ms_0622beltway.html Forbes.com]
* [http://www.jacobsen.no/anders/blog/archives/2005/02/07/smsac_warning.html SMS.ac warning]