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Altruistic SMS services are launched
Friday, February 08 2002
by Matthew Clark


SMS alerts remain as popular as ever in Ireland with the Vhi and the Dublin based
Leprosy Mission in Ireland deploying new text messaging services. 

On Friday the Vhi announced that it was launching a Mobile Health Alerts service
for its 1.5 million members in the Republic. Mobile services company iTouch
developed the SMS alerts service for the health insurance company. 



Vhi members can go to the company's Web site at HREF="http://www.vhihealthe.com">www.vhihealthe.com to sign up for the
service. Once signed up, users can set up a profile where they will be sent free
SMS alerts, on a once-off or per day basis, to remind themselves of medical
appointments, times to take medication or even alerts to encourage themselves to
go to the gym. 



For example, a smoker who is trying to quit can receive a text alert offering
encouragement at particularly difficult times, such as first thing in the
morning, at weekends or whilst socialising, the Vhi says.  "We recognise that
people wish to take control of their healthcare management.  We are also
sensitive to the fact that busy lifestyles are forcing health issues to take a
back seat to other priorities and we are committed to ensuring that a healthy
lifestyle is made as simple as possible," explained Tim McKeown, e-business
manager at Vhi Healthcare.  



Meanwhile the Dublin-based Leprosy Mission is encouraging users to sign up for
its "Bible txt 2 U" service. Users that sign up for the Mission's service will
receive text messages once per day throughout Lent containing biblical verses in
a text message format. 



"These will not be judgemental messages, they will messages of encouragement,"
Reverend Kenneth Gibson, the head of the mission, told ElectricNews.Net. Gibson
explained that users can call the Mission's premium phone number to sign up for
the service. All proceeds go to the charity and RSL, a Dublin-based mobile
marketing company, is providing the service free of charge for the Mission.
Gibson said the average call would cost a user around EUR5. 



"We have always tried to work with the community by offering something in
exchange for a subscription. In this case it's 40 days of inspirational
messages," Gibson said.  The Leprosy Mission is using the funds to help build
three leprosy colony villages in China where 21,000 people live. The telephone
number to sign up for the Mission's alerts is . 



For more information visit HREF="http://www.leprosymission.org/htm/area/ireland.htm">http://www.leprosymission.org/htm/area/ireland.htm,
http://www.itouch.ie or HREF="http://www.vhihealthe.com">www.vhihealthe.com.