A service to receive information and news via mobile phone has been launched recently in a joint effort by software developers Access to Arabia, the Jordan Times, and mobile phone service provider Fastlink.
The service, dubbed Rassel, enables customers to receive the latest information and news headlines using SMS mobile messaging technology.
"We have equipped the Fastlink website with software that enables the Jordan Times to supply Fastlink with its latest headlines and information, and for Fastlink to update the database from which it supplies its customers with whatever information they desire on their mobiles," Rula Hadad, Access to Arabia system analyst told the Jordan Times.
One way of benefiting from Rassel would be by a subscription in which the customer specifies what information he/she prefers to receive in a certain time, usually once a day. This category of the service is called Rassel Channel.
Another way would be Rassel Info — customers send an SMS message through the mobile phone with the "pull command" specified for the certain category of news or information desired to the number specified for this service, which is 1444.
The categories of news that can be provided using this service are: Home News (the pull command for it is JTHN), International News (JTIN), Economy News (JTEN), Regional News (JTRN), Sports News (JTSN), Weather (JTWN) and Cinema and Theatre (JTCT).
Jordan Times' responsible editor in chief, Rana Sabbagh-Gargour, expressed her pride in the Jordan Times contribution in providing this service. "The Jordan Times is known to be one of the most credible, liberal, and objective dailies in the country, and this service is a step in line with our direction to keep up with the cutting edge developments in media technology." — ( Jordan Times )
Yacoub Abu Ghosh
© 2000 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
