Vazu Free SMS

Russ turned me on to Vazu the other day, and I was just fooling around with it some. They have a little contact management and info site that you can sign up for, but I was much more interested in their developer API. They have tools (executable for Windows it looks like, I tried out the Firefox extension under Linux) that you can use to send messages using the API, and you can develop your own tools and integrate the messaging with your own site or service. The main usage pattern for me is sending myself links that I know I would like to check out when I have a few moments of spare time. Actually, I’m thinking a bookmarklet that would take the URL I’m reading, wrapper it so that I’m going through Skweezer or PHONifier, TinyURL the result, and send that to my phone. I’m also wondering how long till we see a MIDlet based on this so that I can send free messages from my phone.

I really hope they’re able to monetize this with the advertisements. I think the carrier model is broken, and their method of charging for messages in and out is just killing off what would be a tremendous amount of usage if it was just allowed to happen. Tough medium though, with lots of constraints. There are advantages however, Vazu could end up with a pretty rich profile of who the person at the end of the phone number is. That’s something that’s always a problem with online advertising, how do you build up a profile of the user so you can target to them. Vazu can track aggregate behavior because their messages are sent to a phone number. They’ll know that my number gets messages about Linux and happenings in downtown Palo Alto and cell phone reviews. There’s some potential there. And right off the bat they’re saying “Hey, we’re taking 60 characters for our own use”. No problem for me there, you can have 60 characters of the message if I get to send it for free, totally fair! I’m keeping my fingers crossed. Good luck Vazu!!