An Operation No Kid Hungry has been launched by Nonprofit .Nonprofit is the first mobile campaign to raise funds to help end childhood hunger.

Chuck Scofield, chief development officer at Share Our Strength, Washington said,”It’s a two-fold strategy.”

“One element is the texting element and the second piece is the food drive with AT&T,”he added.

He further said,”We are trying to raise funds and be a catalyst for non-profits all over.”

The leading national organization,Share Our Strength is dedicated to ending childhood hunger in America.

In the last six months,the United States has seen a dramatic jump in the need for food assistance.

During his presidential campaign,president-elect Obama pledged to end childhood hunger by 2015 .

On Jan. 19,He has also called for a national day of service,Martin Luther King Day.

The people are asked to send a text donation and hold food drives to help feed those in need,by Share Our Strength.

With the partnership of AT&T Share Our Strength will launch a nationwide employee food drive in 32 cities.

The AT&T food drive kicks off today in six cities — Atlanta; Chicago; Dallas; Hartford, CT.; Sacramento, CA; and Washington, D.C

To end childhood hunger, which finds ways to feed the hungry in our communities, funds the most effective anti-hunger organizations in each state, and makes the most of state, federal, and local resources,All funds raised will support Share Our Strength’s national work.

Mr. Scofield said,”This program really does speak to the president elect’s campaign.”

“Obama motivated young people with his mobile initiatives and enlisting these young folks is important to us,”he added.

He further said,”Young people are an active and engaged group of people excited about the reality that we could end child hunger in America in our lifetime.”

A real estate brokerage targeting Minnesota and some surrounding areas,Coldwell Banker Burnet, debuted a new real estate information service offering access to home-for-sale details.

To launch three phases of this service for homebuyers,the aim of design the new service is to cut reliance on the wired Internet through computers in favor of quick and more personalized delivery of information through mobile.

To run a text message search of all homes on the market by property address, street name, MLS ID number, neighborhood and other criteria,homebuyers can access property information by using their mobile phones.

For example,they need to text 353052 to 74362 or Text 4368 Vernon to 74362.

To receive property information on their phones,homebuyers can call the Home InfoLine, key in a property ID number.

Such as,they can call 952-844-3000 or 888-844-3002 and enter 353052.

An other option is to access property information through a mobile Web site at http://m.cbburnet.com.

Consumers can search by address, city, ZIP or MLS ID.

To immediately contact the Coldwell Banker Burnet sales person, CellSigns’ Mobile Agent offers a click-to-call feature .

Brokers can visit http://mymoag.com and login with their mobile number,the tool will allow activity tracking of all the homes viewed and mapping of the properties.

Without requiring downloads or special browsers,Mobile Agent can work on all mobile phones.

To give basketball fans the opportunity to win tickets to some of the most exciting games this season,Alltel Wireless, now part of Verizon Wireless, has launched a mobile sweepstakes campaign to promote its My Circle offering.

A chance to travel with their Circle of Friends via private jet to any regular season college or pro basketball game of their choice,was given by The My Circle Hoops Getaway sweepstakes to basketball fans.

By texting the keyword JET to short code 57533 or by logging onto www.alltelbasketball.com, Fans can enter the Alltel My Circle Hoops Getaway.

Samira Zebian, director sponsorship marketing for Alltel, Little Rock, AR said,”When we considered how best to activate our basketball assets, we considered Alltel’s customer first philosophy and the attributes of the My Circle franchise.”

she said,”This program allows us to leverage Alltel’s sponsorship investments in both the pro and collegiate space.”

“It also provides the same choice and control that is synonymous with the Alltel brand,”she added.

For a VIP gameday experience and a will receive Motorola Hint QA30, which includes a full QWERTY keyboard with dedicated keys for the 2-megapixel camera, MP3 player and Web access,five grand prize winners will be chosen to jet-set to the regular season game of their choice.

During their trip, one lucky winner and their 10 friends will meet basketball legend Clyde Drexler.

A member of the Basketball Hall of Fame and one of the “Fifty Greatest Players of All Time,”Mr. Drexler,will sign autographs, pose for photos and spend quality time with a grand prize winner.

Ms. Zebian said,”The promotion provides basketball fans the unique opportunity to choose their ultimate VIP experience.”

“Instead of Alltel shaping their game day experience, each of the five grand prize winners will have total control over their destination,”she added.

She said,”We simply provide the private jet to make their wildest road trip dreams a reality.”

She further said,”At the program’s most basic level, we provide fans with a means of entering the contest via text.”

“We also version the keywords to track the mediums that prove to be the most effective,”she added.

A wireless technology and service company,ACG,Agile Communications Group,has launched KryptoSMS, an encrypted text messaging product.

ACG claims that to provide mobile marketers and consumers with complete privacy, its SMS product enables secure, fully encrypted communication on any network .

For mobile telephony and network security systems,ACG had partnership with I.D. Rank Security Inc., or IDRS, a provider of data and voice encryption technologies.

James Slusser, chief marketing officer for Agile Communications Group, St. Petersburg, FL said,”IDRank was chosen because of their existing offerings of fully encrypted file storage, hard drives, memory sticks, VOIP and cellular voice communications.”

He further said,”The Encryption Module for our SMS is hosted on our production servers, adding another level of protection.”

“We have some exclusive applications that allow our clients access not only from the Web-based platform, but the ability to remotely access their data list directly from their phones,”he added.

According to ACG,its target demographic for this product is quite broad.

Mr. Slusser said,”We anticipate significant interest in this product, especially in the banking and financial services, as well as healthcare and public sector industries.”

“The demand for encrypted SMS communication is the next logical and evolutionary step in the secured communications market,”he added.

“Its application for use in the private and public sectors will enable organizations and individuals to securely and more effectively transfer sensitive information in the most mobile manner possible,” he said.

KryptoSMS is a broadcast send-and-return system using carriers’ SMS networks.

According to ACG,today KryptoSMS is the only secure text messaging product available in the market.

Providing unique encryption to each smartphone,It secures two-way communications with unique authentication and encryption technology that utilizes symmetric keys.

A wireless technology and service company,Agile Communications Group is dedicated to extending communications and marketing capabilities through mobile phones.

ACG is using various methods get the word out about this product.

Mr.slusser said,”We will utilize all traditional off- and online channels of media, marketing and advertising, including Web sites, blogs, social media, print ads and leveraging out-of-network clients, agency partners and re-sellers.”

AirCare has been launched by Air2Web Inc,a mobile messaging company .

AirCare is a new customer care program that uses text messaging as a tool for customer service and support.

At the time and place where that communication is most relevant,mobile messaging is a highly personal way to inform and educate customers.

AirCare uses the immediacy and interactivity of SMS to further its clients’ goal of improving customer relationship management.

Curtis Rapp, vice president of sales and marketing for Air2Web, Atlanta said,”Especially in 2009 with such a focus on cost savings and cost reductions, as opposed to revenue generation, we decided to take the low-cost channel, text messaging, and extend that into customer care operations.”

He further said,”This will deflect calls from call centers, which are expensive and not effective in many instances.”

“It’s valuable and timely, because it doesn’t involve the phone tree we all get stuck in,”he added.

“Information can be provided more effectively with the SMS channel, and AirCare is the solution that provides that capability.”he said.

Including AT&T, Procter & Gamble, Wal-Mart, Starbucks and UPS,Air2Web is the mobile resource for brands .

For example, the AT&T star services function uses Air2Web technology integrated into AT&T’s platform to create a customer care process that provides customer-specific information.

They get the number of minutes they have used that month,if AT&T subscribers text in *BAL#.

If they text in *NEW#, they can find out if they are eligible for an upgrade to their phone.

Mr. Rapp said,”These are typical call center questions, and it’s a great revenue opportunities for AT&T.”

“Plus, it costs much less delivering that information via SMS,”he added.

To provide consumers with self-service options and offload more expensive alternatives for enterprises to interact with and serve their customers,the AirCare managed service offering incorporates best practices developed with large enterprises over the past ten years.

Under a bill that passed the state Senate on Tuesday,not only teenagers but also all Wisconsin drivers,would be banned from sending text messages while driving .

A bill 27-5 was approved by lawmakers that would prohibit drivers from using a text message device such as a cell phone, I-Phone, or Blackberry.

The penalties would be the same as disorderly driving,between $20 and $400.

The ban passed after lawmakers balked at the initial proposal affecting only drivers under age 18.

According to some senators, if texting were dangerous for young drivers, it was dangerous for all motorists.

Sen. Mike Ellis, R-Neenah asked,”Why are we resistant to protect all of the population regardless of their age?”

According to Sen. Neal Kedzie, R-Elkhorn,Opponents argued that texting, just like putting on makeup or searching for loose change, is already covered under the state’s disorderly driving law. It will also be nearly impossible for a police officer to determine if someone is texting.

Mr.Sen Mike Ellis said,”There’s a limit as to how many laws you need before we have laws on the books that are unenforceable,”

A law would get the public’s attention,said supporters.

Sen. Mark Miller, D-Monona said,”We all know that texting while driving is dangerous behavior.”

”But if it’s illegal, most of us will change our behavior,”he added.

To address the problem of distracted driving,the Senate’s vote comes as momentum increases nationwide.

In New Jersey and Washington in 2007,the frist law was passed to ban text messaging while driving .

Now,mall of America shoppers will have access to last-minute sales, in-store coupons and up-to-date event information via the device they never leave home without – their mobile phone.

To use the new text messaging service called MallCall,visitors to Mall of America will be the first in the country.

To receive real-time information about mall vendor deals and promotions, mall patrons have to sign up for the service.

Allen Gluck, president/CEO of MallCall, Nanuet, NY.said,“MallCall provides the opportunity for mall stores across America to use inexpensive and effective text marketing to drive traffic into their stores, increasing sales and their bottom line.”

He further said,“Text messaging is the most popular and personal form of modern communication,”

“Today’s sophisticated shoppers want up-to-the-minute news on sales, specials and mall news,”he added.

According to Nielsen,the average mobile user sends 357 texts each month compared with making only 204 calls.

The nation’s largest retail and entertainment complex is Mall of America.

The 4.2 million-square-foot complex is home to more than 520 shops, the indoor family amusement park Nickelodeon Universe, Underwater Adventures Aquarium and a 14-screen movie theater.

In August 1992,The Mall opened and is located in Bloomington, MN, just minutes from downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Consumers who sign up for the MallCall service will receive up-to-the-minute notifications of events taking place at the mall on their mobile phones.

Allowing customers to take advantage of last-minute sales from Mall of America stores and vendors,mallCall is meant to enhance the consumer shopping experience by providing real-time text messages about promotions and in-store coupons.

On the Mall of America Web site at http://www.mallofamerica.com,the keyword and short code will also be listed.

During mall business hours for the day,participants will only receive text messages.

The text messages come to an end,After the mall closes.

An SMS advertising service has been launched by Aggregator and mobile transaction hub OpenMarket Inc, that enables content providers to tap into advertising networks and monetize the content that they deliver to consumers.

Including those that offer weather, jokes, horoscopes and sports alerts, to insert targeted ads into Web and text-based messages that are relayed to the consumer,the OpenMarket SMS Advertising service lets text-message content providers.

By clicking on a Web URL—click-to-Web—or by clicking a phone number to call—click-to-call,consumers can respond to an ad.

Jay Emmet, general manager of OpenMarket, Seattle said,”This new SMS advertising service is targeting existing clients with standard-rate products that have additional monetization opportunities.”

“For example, many consumers subscribe to a big sports network to get baseball team updates, but that content only uses 30-40 character out of the 160 that are available, which leaves a lot of whitespace,”he added.

Mr.Jay Emmet said,“Content providers realize they can monetize this whitespace better by offering ads related to the content of the SMS alerts and let brands target the demographic being addressed.”

At the end of the baseball alert,continuing the same sporting analogy, there could be an ad from Ticketmaster or StubHub encouraging that fan to buy tickets to see their favorite team.

The message could carry a link to a phone number or a Web address – an ad letting consumers click to respond to the call-to-action.

Messaging, payments and emerging services are provided by A subsidiary of Amdocs, OpenMarket, to meet mobile business needs, including marketing and CRM, by leveraging the off-portal mobile channel.

According to OpenMarket,SMS campaigns provide a way for advertisers to closely target their product messaging and for content providers to generate additional value from their product offer.

Mr. Emmet said,“This is beneficial to all members of the ecosystem, because they get to monetize these messages, and it is beneficial to consumers, because they get free SMS alerts.”

“The ad doesn’t intrude, it’s a standalone message, and consumers have to accept the fact that there’s an ad at the end to get the free content they want, just like magazines and TV are ad-supported,”he added.

He further said,“We have seen chatter from our competitors in this space, and we’re not launching a beta trial or a test, this is a fully baked product launch.”

“This is a core product for us, and it is viewed as such within our product catalog,”He added.

“Typically these are clients that have large standard-rate messaging usage such as a TV show that offers you the chance to interact with the show and get content related to it, or weather alerts, horoscopes, sports networks, anyone who has a recurring informational service and has whitespace they can monetize—it really runs the gamut,”he said.

From now on , if you want to donate blood and need to find a nearby American Red Cross blood drive, you can find out through your nobile phone.

A mobile media program has been implemented by the Red Cross Blood Services, South Central Division, which lets people sign up for text-message alerts on blood inventory levels, receive educational information about donating blood, make their next donation appointment or locate the nearest blood drive.

Donors can subscribe to the Red Cross SMS club by texting the keyword REDCROSS to the short code 42227 or by registering at http://www.bloodisneeded.org.

According to David Spear, executive vice president of sales and marketing at LSN Mobile, Atlanta, every two seconds someone in the country needs blood. With the American Red Cross providing nearly one-half of the nation’s blood supply, the South Central Division Red Cross Regions are constantly looking for ways to better inform and educate both donors and non-donors of the ongoing need for blood.

“With the enormous growth of the mobile industry as a whole, the Red Cross is very excited to be adding mobile media to its marketing strategy,” he said. “In fact, the Red Cross views this as an important avenue for connecting to those who opt-in.”

Apart from supplying nearly half of the nation’s blood,the American Red Cross shelters , feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters. It teaches lifesaving skills, provides international humanitarian aid, and supports military members and their families.
It is a charitable organization and not a government agency. It depends on volunteers and donors to perform its mission.

According to CTIA-The Wireless Association, a trade group representing the U.S. wireless industry, mobile technology is playing a powerful role in enhancing public health. With more than 160 million Americans sending text messages every day, the Red Cross believes texting will become an important tool for communicating with blood donors.

The South Central Division covers parts of eight states across the Midwest, including Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Kansas. The Red Cross sees this as an opportunity to connect to two key targeted population groups—young people and young adults.

The Red Cross hopes that the SMS alerts will increase people’s awareness and commitment to helping others through blood donations.The organization will offer real-time alerts to critical blood inventories, tips for successful blood donations and early notification of new promotions.

This mobile initiative is powered by LSN .Once someone opts-in for this program, they will be able to make appointments via a click-to-call feature or locate a blood drive by entering a ZIP code. They will launch with text only, and then, when appropriate, leverage mobile display on the LSN Mobile network in the South Central Region. Immediately, the Red Cross will incorporate the SMS call-to-action on all print collaterals and on the Web site at http://www.bloodisneeded.org.

LSN Mobile is helping the Red Cross in meeting the challenges of Targeting, speed and flexibility.

With the help of a mobile marketing program meant to drive consumers into the auto dealer’s lot, Timonium, MD-based Fox Chevrolet was able to sell 34 cars in a single day.

The campaign was powered by HipCricket. They bought time on Hearst’s Baltimore 98 Rock radio station. Fox Chevrolet ran 10- and 15-second promos encouraging people to text-in to enter to win the chance at a $98 car.

According to Jeff Hasen, chief marketing officer of HipCricket, Kirkland, WA, While the so-called Cash for Clunkers program has helped bolster sales later in the summer, Fox Chevrolet decided not to wait for government assistance and instead turned to mobile marketing leader HipCricket and 98 Rock.

The campaign got a good response from the customers. In total, nearly 500 listeners texted the keyword FOX to the station’s short code, with nearly 300 attending a special day-long event that resulted in the sale of 17 new cars and 17 used cars, in addition to the two $98 used cars that were awarded.

Traditionally, automobiles have been sold through mass media, a one-size-fits-all approach that includes major television and print buys. But according to Mr. Hasen, that approach alone does not work anymore.

The autodealer brand needed to reach its customers on a one-to-one basis with truly relevant offers.Unlike the mass media, mobile allows for enhanced measurability. The dealer measured the effectiveness of this campaign via sales and foot traffic.

“The goal, pardon the pun, was to drive consumers to the lot for test drives during the toughest economic times of our generation,” Mr. Hasen said. “Rather than competing purely through price, Fox saw this as an opportunity to reach prospects on a highly-personal device, their mobile phone.”

The $98 car deal attracted consumers to the lot. Mobile helped the dealer to close the deal with 34 customers during an otherwise bleak summer for the auto industry.

Other car brands have also used mobile to drive foot traffic to their dealerships. In June, automaker Jaguar Cars Ltd. ran a multichannel marketing campaign to drive foot traffic to its dealerships and get consumers to opt-in to its SMS database.