In this Fortumo’s User Tells A Story, we would like to introduce AllPlayer.org, which provides the Free Multimedia Player for wide range of media formats. AllPlayer is currently one of the most popular multimedia players, No. 1 in Poland, with over 5 million users. AllPlayer.org shows us an interesting example how to embed Fortumo’s SMS-services into an application. Check out this short interview, where authors of AllPlayer.org share their experience.

How have you applied SMS-services in your application?

Because of costly server maintenance, a need to employ graphic and programmer to support allplayer.org as well as due to users’ requests, we have decided to introduce micro-payments. In general, our users needed to solve problems with video files, which they couldn’t open, so we started providing them with such a service for small fees.

Where has the idea of using SMS-services come from?

For payments of about 1 USD it is very convenient. Not everybody uses PayPal, credit cards in internet or bank transfers for such small amounts.

Why have you decided to use SMS-services in your application?

Because of easy consumer service. The whole process is automatic. Answer can be sent in text form to user’s mobile phone.

What has SMS-service additionally given you?

Not every problem with video files can be solved automatically. Often, the problem lies on the user’s side and in his software. In such a case, intervention of an engineer is necessary. Thanks to SMS-services, the problem can be approached individually, and the person who is employed in our company earns deserved salary for his work.

Have you wondered what great other ideas there are to provide SMS-services? Fortumo user tells a story section has made another interview with great, yet simple idea of providing SMS-services. Meet transportinestonia.com! It’s useful, easy and quick solution for anyone who needs help with transportation service. Check it out!

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This time in section Fortumo user tells a story we would like to introduce you a neat web and SMS-service developed by Lapadoo. translate.lapadoo.com is a web based translation service that brings translation to your cellphone. No need to have any separated application or even Internet access, the whole translation is done via SMS.

“The service is intended for all those who need translation help while being abroad without access to a computer or dictionary. All you need is to know the phrase you want to translate and your cell phone. “

Where did the idea of offering and starting a service like that come from?

Like many other good ideas, the mobile translation service was born while drinking beer with my buddies. One of my friends was telling me about a comical failure he had due to not understanding the local language. While listening to his story, it suddenly occurred to me – I should make a  service that allows people to translate sentences from one language to another despite the location and situation.

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Today Fortumo’s User Tells A Story is going to present you with another successful case study from BMA. BMA Grupp OÜ is a developing online community and entertainment services mainly for mobile and web users, and Online Yatzy Game is one of BMA Grupp’s projects over the years. Courtesy to Andrei Maksimik, the product manager of BMA Grupp, who has kindly shared his user experience with us.

How have you applied SMS-services on your website?

Online Yatzy Game is a small side-project created for people who have some free time during the day, a desire to compete with others and win prizes for achieving highest scores. We needed to charge users for every attempt to reach the ranking list and we needed it to be available for everyone with a mobile phone.

Where did the idea of using SMS-services come from?

The idea started from simple online mini-games. It was obvious that games with performance chart were more popular than those without any possibility to compete the score with others. So we decided to try with a game that is popular, addictive, somewhat skill-based and with a possibility to reward the top players.

Why did you decide to use SMS-services in your web business?

Making the online game to become a business leads us to Fortumo and their flexible micropayment system. The simplest way for the customers would be to send an SMS, which was easy to create with Fortumo’s dynamic SMS-service.

What has SMS-service additionally given you?

Paying for the game was as simple as it could be. By sending SMS to a short code, user received unique password. Entering this password on website activates the game. It has been a positive experience to make an idea into money in the simplest manner.

Recently we presented a script for MU Server Webshop (given to us by LiskO from EscapeMu). It allows all owners of MU online servers with Web Shops installed, to offer a convenient system for adding credits in their users accounts, through SMS. So, now your server can benefit from the long list of countries that we operate in. You can see which are they at Fortumo.com.

Following is a short interview with Rosen – the owner of Emerald Mu – one of the top international MU online servers.

How have you applied SMS-services?

Long time ago I decided to launch a MU Online game server. It developed well in time and I decided that I can earn money from it. I needed the services of Fortumo.bg because the Bulgarian users were only a small part of my visitors. The players can now send an SMS and in return they receive game credits. These credits are used in game for shopping.

Where did the idea of using SMS-services come from?

The previous payment methods were not convenient enough for the players. Transferring money through wired transfers or paypal transactions were available, but they were not automatic. A lot of players asked for SMS- services in their countries and that’s why, when I found Fortumo, they were very pleased.

Why did you decide to use SMS- services in your web business?

Among all MU Online servers in this game’s virtual world, most offer many types of payment methods, but not SMS. I decided that in order to attract more players I need something different. The automatic SMS- service is a great convenience for the players and the administrators.

Findit.fi is a free local classified website and is used by the local citizens and companies in Finland who want to sell or buy goods, products and services.

“Our goal is to create a clean and easy-to-use marketplace that allows visitors to browse and post listings in areas such as Motors, Electronics, Housing, Pets, Hobby, Business and Services. Findit.fi emphasizes the local aspect and thus have a search widget that allows users to customize their search results to a specific address or ZIP code, and then select within a certain distance from that location. The items are also visible on a map for easy navigation.”

Where did the idea of offering and starting a website like that come from?

The idea behind the Findit.fi site is that we wanted to build a similar site like Craiglist here in Finland, because Internet is very suitable for online advertisements. Findit.fi is currently one of the most rapid growing sites in Finland and many people has recognized that classifieds advertisements on Internet work very well for selling and buying of used products and vintage clothes.

How have you applied SMS-services on your website?

Private persons can publish their advertisements for free, but for companies we charge a minimal fee per advertisement and Fortumo’s SMS-service is used for that purpose, in another words for micro payments.

Where did the idea of using SMS-services come from?

The idea of using SMS-service came in a very early stage and it was obvious that micro-payment is very easy to-do by sending an SMS.

Why did you decide to use SMS-services in your web business?
The users have liked the idea of paying through SMS instead of using online bank services. Today we use Fortumo’s SMS- service for both Finland and Sweden, because we have users from both countries.

What has SMS-service additionally given you?
The SMS-service has opened the doors in order to be able to charge a minimal fee for additional services, and we will probably extend the services where SMS is being used for micro-payments.

By the way, findit.fi is currently seeking for partners in other countries (especially where Fortumo is operating in). They have plans for expanding the findit.fi concept into other EU countries. So if you’re interested in becoming a partner, email to info@findit.fi.

In many countries the pre-grad school students are required to sit an exam after their last year at school. In Bulgaria, these exams took place a few weeks ago. Now, some of the young people are having a rest on the sunny beaches and others have to study a bit more. Still, for a first year, the future students are allowed to check their results with greater ease through the use of SMS. Infosystems.bg made this possible through the use of Fortumo’s services. The students only have to send TXT ID and their personal ID* to a specified short code, in order to check what they have achieved. In order to inspire you, we post here a short interview with the creators of the service – Infosystems BG: Read the rest of this entry »

One more month passed by and we added so many improvements to our system. Moreover, we are preparing a lot of other surprises for Fortumo’s customers. Follow our blog and you will be the first to learn about them, still today it’s time for the inspiring story of a client of ours – Vladislav Lazarov and Beroe Online.

Beroe Online is the oldest fan-site of a football team in Bulgaria and it is fully functional at the moment. The beginning was set on the 10th of October 2000 and since then it undertakes great development each and every year. It is created by the fans of the football team BEROE and it’s not financed in any way by the football club. Nevertheless, the team, that consists of 16 people, keeps excellent relationship with the management, as well as the employees, the football players and the trainers of the team. On the 1st of October 2008 the newest project of Beroe Online was launched – online radio, that has its own programme, a few shows and live comment of the team’s matches and some of the games of other teams, bearing the same name, as BC BEROE 07 – women etc.

Where did the idea of using SMS-services come from? Read the rest of this entry »

Nearly a month after the previous story that we shared with you it’s time for a new interview.It is with Nikolai Presolski. His project is the http://napravisigrad.com/ game( in translation from Bulgarian – Create your City). The site is in Bulgarian, but if you’re interested in joining it – let us know by commenting here and encouraging the creator to implement the EN translation. Here is what he says:

My site http://napravisigrad.com is an entertainment one, where the users create their own city, that is developing when people invite relatives and friends of theirs to visit and click. In this way the city progress and reach tremendous sizes.

The idea is that the user can create something on his own, even though virtual, to care about it and to be pleased with the final results achieved.

While creating and testing the site I was building a city of my own, too and was thinking of how to make it even more interesting for the people Read the rest of this entry »