PerthNorg

Noodle Invitations Free SMS service released to Australian users

New Australian web services and consulting outfit, Noodle Networks Pty Ltd, today launched their debut offering, Noodle Invitations, a free SMS invitation management website. Australian mobile users can, for the first time, manage their own social events for free using a streamlined web interface, avoiding the confusion usually associated with communicating en masse via SMS. Unlike other online SMS providers, Noodle Invitations receives and stores all incoming replies to outgoing invitations, allowing users to better control their guest lists.

“We found that while many young people were turning to technology to help them organise their social lives, the inefficiencies arising from sending simple text messages from phone-to-phone were a major stumbling block for most,” said Noodle Networks Pty Ltd co-founder, Andy Parthenopoulos.

“Most complained that multiple-recipient text messages were too impersonal, and difficulties arose when the recipients either failed to reply or flooded the sender’s phone with simple ‘yes/no’ replies.”

At Noodle Invitations, message recipients are encouraged to reply using a keyword (yes, no or maybe) so their attendance or interest in the event/party can be easily classified on the website.

Storing replies on the website also enables users to make use of additional features such as SMS reminders. “How many times have you realized you’re expected at a friend’s drinks at the last moment, or even forgotten to show up altogether? Automatically scheduled reminder messages help keep your friends in the loop with minimum effort. We are already seeing businesses send reminders for various things and many have come to rely on Outlook’s appointment calendar. Letting people organise their own is the logical next step.”

Whilst employing a tried-and-true premise common to other social networking and online SMS sites, the founders stress that Noodle Invitations is more than a mere clone. “It was never our intention to re-invent the wheel with a quirky niche service,” says Parthenopoulos. “We have aimed to provide our young audience with a useful tool to help automate and simplify the tasks they already undertake. For the Australian market in particular, a useful simplified service to assist with communication and networking has been sorely lacking.”

Plans are being made to eventually mould Noodle Invitations into a thriving online community. “At launch we have included what is probably the world’s first SMS quiz that is actually challenging and fun to play! There are many more community features and SMS games/activities currently in the pipeline.”

Noodle Invitations grants users free SMS credits (called Noodles on the site) in exchange for reading email advertising and receiving occasional promotions via SMS.

However, in an encouraging split from the current wisdom of other ad-revenue based services, subscribers may unsubscribe from email/SMS promotions and buy credits at the low price of AU$0.10 each. “We specifically planned our reward model to be quite generous and appealing to the user, but we still wanted to provide the option of participating ad-free. Prices per credit are also extremely competitive with existing carrier charges.”