When customers get to a bar or club with partyStrands, they send an SMS with their alias and the name of their favorite artist; the message is then displayed on a screen. From that point on they are influencing the music being played because the partyStrands service chooses music based on the input it receives from everyone at the party. Guests can also send text messages to appear on the screens or vote on special topics. After just a couple of weeks live, many venues are averaging 100 text messages a night.

PartyStrands is already available in Spain and parts of the US, and is looking to expand. Gabriel Aldamiz-echevarria, vice president of communications, expects the service to grow because anyone can get involved. "There are lots of countries where internet penetration is not very high but mobile penetration and SMS usage are immense. This is a universal system, meaning there are no entry barriers for end users to join a partyStrands party. Online communities can come to life with the help of mobility.

"Mobile communities are the new way for young people to communicate. PartyStrands mixes mobile experiences with online and physical communities, and this is an extremely powerful, fun and easy way to engage young customers in the possibilities of the mobile world."

The partyStrands service grew out of online community myStrands, where hundreds of thousands of members have created music profiles. The community helps people find new songs, artists or music genres based on their profiles. Users install software on their PCs that keeps track of the music they buy or listen to with iTunes or Windows Media Player. The data is compared to find patterns with other community members, using complex algorithms.

Ericsson IPX provides the payment and charging for partyStrands, and operates as a trustworthy broker between the network operator, myStrands and the music venue.

PartyStrands' business model makes it easy for venues to take part. There is no cost for bar or club owners, but they must have a digital music system in order for the music selection to work. Partygoers pay a USD 0.50 or EUR 0.30 surcharge per SMS sent to the partyStrands system. The Ericsson IPX charging system distributes the revenues between myStrands, the venue, an affiliate when relevant, and Ericsson.