Banking, entertainment and transportation companies are using SMS to better service and interact with the public. The benefits are plain and simple since SMS is instantaneous and often just a fraction of the price of traditional forms of customer communication.

British insurance company Royal & Sun Alliance uses text messages to contact customers because it is instantaneous and a sixth the price of sending letters. UK credit card company Barclaycard uses a program to monitor accounts and notifies customers via SMS when it detects unusual transactions, cutting down on credit card fraud.

Transportation companies are using SMS to notify travelers of delayed trains and bus arrival times. Commuters to and from Stockholm and Uppsala, 100km north of Stockholm, can register on the Internet to get arrival times of trains and warnings of delays sent straight to their phones through a pilot project by SJ, the Swedish rail operator.

Mia Törn, director of information at SJ Svealand, says: "We started the service because our customers asked for it and the initial response has been good." Similar services are also being provided in Ireland, the Netherlands and Australia.

Commuters are using SMS to purchase public transportation tickets in Helsinki, Finland. The tickets are sent back to the commuter as text messages. The cost is 30% cheaper than a normal price ticket and is added to the passenger's phone bill.

SMS technology is also being employed by the public sector to improve services. Since the middle of last year, public dental services in two Swedish cities have been using text messages to remind registered patients of their appointments. This means significant savings in missed appointment costs.

Ove Beijer of Mobile Relations, a Vodafone subsidiary and the developer of the service, says: "Clinic personnel and patients are very positive about the service." There are plans to implement the service nationwide.

When a phone is reported stolen in Amsterdam, the police bombard the phone with text messages saying that it is stolen. Phone thefts have dropped by half as a result.

Courts in Chelmsford, England, are sending SMSs to witnesses to inform them of trial status and when they will be called to testify in a bid to cut down on wasted time and cancelled hearings; this also saves taxpayers' money.

These are just some examples of how businesses are using text messaging to communicate with consumers. It is quick and convenient, and reduces costs by eliminating paperwork and improving efficiency. The message for business is reach out and text someone.

Lars Hansen