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Integrating mobile and web social networking
Local company Fontera earlier this week launched an application that allows Facebook users to send free SMS messages to their friends all over the world. “For something to be considered a true form of social networking, it needs to go beyond your computer. Creating an application that links to your cellphone therefore seems like the logical next step,” says Simon Leps, CEO of Fontera.
With more than 30 million active users, Facebook has been the first social networking site to open its system to outside developers. It currently has a growing menu of 1400 applications ranging from virtual food fights to applications that compare friends' taste in movies.
Called Nudgemii, the application effectively integrates Facebook's existing “poke” functionality with text messaging by allowing users to send short text messages (of up to 50 characters) as a “nudge” to their Facebook friends worldwide.
The main benefit of Nudgemii lies in the fact that one can stay in touch with friends across the world even if one is offline – for free. Facebook users can install the Nudgemii application on Facebook as they would any of the applications ranging from virtual fortune cookies to horoscopes.
Once installed, a Nudgemii button appears as part of the user's Facebook profile. From here the user can send “nudges” together with short text messages to their Facebook friends. Recipients receive an SMS on their phone, containing the “nudge” as well as their friend's short message. To receive a “nudge”, recipients need to have the Nudgemii application installed on their Facebook profiles as well.
Fontera, whose development team is based in Cape Town with sales and marketing offices in Johannesburg, London and Atlanta (US), is currently in the process of developing more cellphone applications for Facebook.
