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TxtVox - fast, easy, useful info via SMS

TxtVox is a lightweight, simple implementation of a straightforward idea: get time sensitive information into your hands when its relevant. TxtVox offers SMS alerts for sports scores, stock quotes, stock market updates, local traffic, weather, craigslist listings, jobs, classifieds, and quotes-of-the-day.

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TxtVox offers a high degree of customization, letting you choose the scope of your alerts, allowing you to receive notices from multiple sites, for different keywords, categories, time of day, etc.

Basically, you can be up and running with a set of customized, relevant alerts in a matter of minutes. While individual peices of the TxtVox functionality can be found elsewhere (stock quotes by SMS are not new), TxtVox brings together most of the alerts you would want to get by SMS in a single, simple to manage interface.

Problem (for me): TxtVox is US only, so I couldn’t actually try out the service.

TxtVox is free - I’m not sure what their business model is; perhaps they’re in some sort of revenue sharing deal with carriers? I found out about TxtVox from a press release describing the fact that TxtVox had been “approved” by all major US carriers suggesting a relationship deeper than TxtVox paying for SMS messaging through Click-a-Tell or something. There’s no premium offering available, and I couldn’t find out if there were ads appended to text messages or anything along those lines.

I’ve always been surprised that services like these aren’t more aggressively developed and promoted by cellular carriers - they seem like a simple, natural way to increase utilization of a value-added, monetizeable feature, particularly outside of the core-SMS teen market. If TxtVox gets traction, I’d think they’d be an attractive acquisition for a larger firm (carrier or otherwise) looking to round out their offerings; something akin to the rmail purchase.

alerts, carriers, sms txtvox

8 Responses to “TxtVox - fast, easy, useful info via SMS”

Josh | May 14th, 2007 at 12:11 pm

Thanks for the heads up about this site (www.TxtVox.com). I just joined and it’s very cool. Now I can get my Red Sox scores even when I’m not in front of the TV.

–Josh
Rod | May 14th, 2007 at 1:20 pm

Right on! I’m hoping for an expansion into Canada ASAP.

Regards,
–R
Phil | June 4th, 2007 at 8:16 am

Hi,

Thank you for your review of TxtVox.com. I’m Phil Nadel, President of TxtVox.com. I just wanted you to know that we will be adding a lot of new content channels to the site during the next 30-60 days. I appreciate your interest in the site and I will keep you posted about new developments as they occur.

Regards,
Phil
Rod | June 4th, 2007 at 10:41 am

Hi Phil - thank-you for coming by! I’m a big fan of the TxtVox service, which is something given that its not even available to me (Canadian) yet. That being said, Google’s SMS alerts for calendar items have won me over to the potential for SMS as mission critical communication medium, and TxtVox is the next natural step.

I’m not expecting an answer to this question as I’m sure its confidential, but are you positioning TxtVox as an acquisition target (I could see it fitting into iGoogle nicely, for example), or a standalone business?

Similarly, what do you consider to be the barriers to entry to someone replicating you product?

Regards,
Rod.
Sarah | June 26th, 2007 at 2:23 pm

Awesome- Just came across the site and I really love it! It sends me movie reviews, and as a movie buff that’s really exciting for me. Thanks

-Sarah
Rod | June 26th, 2007 at 2:33 pm

Awesome - glad to hear it Sarah! If you don’t mind, please post back more about your experience using TxtVox - its always great to have first-person testimonials, and as a Canadian, I can’t (yet) access TxtVox.

Cheers!

-R
Phil | June 26th, 2007 at 5:27 pm

Hi Rod,

I’m replying to your post of June 4th. We are building TxtVox as a standalone business. If we get a great offer and happen to be acquired, so be it. But we certainly did not start the company with the intention of being acquired.

The barriers to entry are fairly significant: carrier approval, content deals, significant technology expense, and much more.

Thank you for your enthusiasm about the site. We are definitely looking to expand to Canada and you’ll be the first to know when we do.

Regards,
Phil
Sarah | June 29th, 2007 at 12:28 pm

There’s not much more to say besides it’s just awesome. I’ve tried other alert messaging before, but i’ve had problems with it. This site has been awesome so far, and offers so many choices. It’s definitely the best site I’ve come across. I mean think about it…they offer anything from sports scores, to weather, to jokes, quotes, fashion tips, stock quotes, movie reviews, music reviews and even more! what’s not to like?