It was reported recently that Maxis (my current mobile provider of choice), will offer an anti-spam service for cellphones.
Once you get MessagePlus, which costs RM1 per month, you can start blocking spam. Where do I get most of my spam from? Maxis information services!
So, while this magical service is the first in the world, is this just because Malaysia lacks an extension to the Do Not Call Register?
MessagePlus also includes an auto-reply feature for SMS messages. Think of this like vacation mail, in traditional e-mail. Vacation mail that costs money – you’re charged on a per SMS basis, ranging from between 5-15 sen per message.
It seems Maxis has a new business development manager, Nikolai Dobberstein. And the idea of sending spam, and charging folk to stop receiving the spam, seems like its just gold! Excellent idea for business development, I’m sure.
Me? I’ll live with the spam. And when mobile number portability shows up (find link), I might move to another sensible provider.
A useful statistic? Malaysia’s SMS use is ranked at sixth in the world, for total SMS volume.