Avalanche Mobile announces IMF Append, an innovative text messaging solution which enables mobile subscribers to send and receive their text messages for free – courtesy of third party sponsorship. This solution appeals to younger subscribers with limited budgets but lots of friends to keep in touch with, and of course to advertisers who are eager to reach the elusive Gen Y and youth markets.

IMF Append does this by inserting a micro-advertisement into the text messages of subscribers who have opted-in to the program in exchange for incentives such as reduced or free SMS tariffs, loyalty points or other rewards. IMF Append and other Intelligent Messaging Filter™ services will be demonstrated by Avalanche Mobile at Hall 4, HS6.08 at 3GSM in Barcelona from February 13 – 16.

In recent years as traditional media struggles to reach Generation Y and younger consumers, advertisers have become increasingly desperate and bereft of effective marketing options. Recent high profile cases, such as Coke Zero’s controversial promotional launch in Australia highlight the difficulty of reaching Gen Y and the lengths and care that advertisers must go to.

However, many Gen Y’ers and other young subscribers have a close relationship with their mobile operator as a supplier of crucial text messaging, content and other services for which many have an insatiable appetite, all delivered through the ubiquitous accessory: the mobile phone. Mobile operators for their part continually strive to increase average monthly revenues from each subscriber (ARPU) but Gen Y’ers have limited funds. A solution to the impasse is to bring in a third party willing to contribute to the payment for mobile services enjoyed by Gen Y subscribers, and with IMF Append, the advertiser is a natural fit.

The IMF Append solution from Avalanche Mobile is deployed in the mobile operator’s network and can append messages according to a range of rules, including the subscriber’s opt-in status, advertiser priority and time of day (prime time is typically during lunch and evening). All the while the subscriber’s privacy is completely respected and guaranteed, because no direct marketing database of mobile numbers is created and there is no need whatsoever for the recipient’s number to be given to the advertiser or any other 3rd party.

Mark Shiels, Avalanche Mobile’s Director Global Business, said “Research shows that person-to-person messages are read much more readily and given more attention than standard 160 character promotional messages. IMF Append thus finds an important nexus between the needs of the advertiser for access to Gen Y, the operator for revenue and Gen Y mobile subscribers for more and better messaging services.”

About Avalanche Mobile
Avalanche Mobile is focused on enabling GSM and 3G network operators to protect, control and grow text messaging usage, applications and revenues by providing the capability for them to create new and manage existing text messaging services and revenue opportunities. With tens of millions of text messages sent worldwide every day, Avalanche Mobile has developed a patent-pending flexible platform that enables network operators to expand offerings and maximize revenue from advanced messaging services.

Avalanche Mobile’s Intelligent Messaging Filterâ„¢ (IMF) platform enables carriers to manage, personalize, prioritize and deliver any messaging service to corporate accounts, service/application providers, and private customers – customized to meet individual user needs. The IMF platform offers a wide range of services for specific purposes including IMF Control, IMF Protect, IMF Divert and IMF Priority which provide capabilities such as priority SMS services for the corporate and consumer market, parental control services, custom SMS and surge SMS management for mass-market consumer events involving public text voting.

Avalanche Mobile’s management team has decades of experience working with Mobile Operators, as well as with the operation of large data networks world-wide. Avalanche Mobile has offices in London, Singapore and Dubai.