(22 May 2007 5:25 pm)

MUMBAI: Webaro announced the launch of 'SMS GupShup', a free group messaging service in India. SMS GupShup offers a way to create groups of any size and communicate with them. Messages sent by the group creator are forwarded by Webaroo, at no charge, to all members of the group.

Using a single SMS message, users can join any group they choose. They will then automatically receive messages posted to the group as an SMS on their phone. Similarly, users can use SMS messages to create their own groups, invite friends, and post messages to the group. Additionally, users can also run a poll, rating and quiz within their group. Groups and messages are archived online at www.smsgupshup.com, except for private groups. The service is free to users and will be supported by advertising.

Users can join groups to stay connected with friends, to receive alerts and notifications, to stay updated with news and current events, to receive weather updates or sports scores from their favorite sources.

"SMS Gupshup is a fun, new and powerful SMS service for users of any mobile phone. It is an ideal tool for connecting with friends, building new relationships and forming mobile communities. We are seeing rapid user growth, through word of mouth, indicating popularity and usability of the service" said Webaroo co-founder and CTO Beerud Sheth.

He added "This helps us further realize Webaroo's goal of bringing diverse content, including user generated content, to all mobile devices."