Cool SMS services? You tell me.

I am looking to compile the five best/most useful mobile services that are run on SMS. I.e AQA ask a question service.

SMS is the common mobile languague. The volumes of consumers sending SMS is huge, yet people who recieve really useful SMS services, appear to be very low?

If i am under the wrong impression and there are loads of really good/cool SMS services please let me know.

If my view is echoed, let's try to compile a list of what is really good.
Equally if you have a suggestion for something new- SMS based, let me know.

So after a little research here are a number of services i have found:
-At John Lennon Aiport in Liverpool i can text Flight to 60030 to be updated on out bound or in bound flights, just add the flight number.
-The National Farmers Union launched a service to update farmers on the Bluetongue and Foot and Mouth epidemics.
-Snow alerts are common across Europe
- SMS Weather Alerts
-eHound direction service in Australia
-Car Valuation Service- value the car you are thinking on buying when you are with the seller, then knochk his price down!
-Sat Lav- text to find the nearest toilet in London (well it's funny)

Utilising SMS is a good way of engaging more consumers and building the mobile industry.
Please add in your thoughts.

New stuff

I'm seeing RoK today. They seem like a good outfit. Innovative, hungry, smart, global.

I am hoping to get a project off the ground with the guys. This may just help move the needle in mobile content- it's early days but i have an idea that could just fit the bill.
We all want to innovate, but timing, content and/or a useful service that the consumer really wants is key.

It's exciting times in media and mobile at the moment. The trick so they (people in the know that is), is backing the right horse.

I don't no much about horses, but my instinct tells me the pedigree of RoK is pretty good, the thing i like about them is they are doing things across the globe.

They are also full of possible creative solutions, some may be too early for the U.K market, others are really logical like delivering video via MMS, this would work for a brief news bulletin (and the consumer avoids high data costs).

Pre loading memory cards with lots of good TV content is already happening across Asia, sounds good to me.

So a proactive day is in store i feel. Hopefully they don't see my blog before the meeting, otherwise my negotiation strategy is doomed to failure!

The power of the people

Last week, there was an average football club in the U.K. who appointed an average manager, you know the sort, doesn't win any trophies.

The thing is the football club was Newcastle, second only in support to Manchester United. The manager Kevin Keegan, former Newcastle and Liverpool legend, dodgy perm in the seventies and eighties (nineties?), the guy who quit the England job, you know the one.

The thing about this announcement was it gained mass exposure on TV, mobile and web, for days. More so than even the new England manager, Fabio,? wassis name.

So how did Newcastle break the news of this appointment?

They sent an SMS to their fan club members before putting the announcement on the web and before holding a press conference.Smart move, keep the audience engaged, build crm opportunities such as wallpapaers, tickets, shirts etc..

I can just imagine the toon army (Newscastles hardcore fans)going into mobile overdrive and spreading the message virally, out scooping Sky and the BBC along the way.

Now that is... the power of mobile meeting with the power of the people.