More world firsts for RP text messaging apps industry

Chikka Asia Inc., creator of the popular Chikka Txt Messenger, recently achieved the new global standards for Information Security Manage-ment Systems (BS7799) and IT Services Management Systems (BS15000).

Certifying body TUV Product Service Asia Pacific also confirmed that Chikka Asia is first in the world to apply the standards in the areas of "operation of IT infrastructure" and in the "provision of managed IT services in support of design and deployment of wireless software applications services using GSM-SMS and MMS protocols."

Chikka earlier revalidated the ISO 9001:2000 standard for Quality Management Systems under the same scope. 

"Manila is now a global headquarters for Chikka. The integrated information security, technology management and quality management systems are a requirement for what is now a truly global operation exporting excellent wireless applications that could have come only from the Philippines, still the undis-puted text capital of the world," said Chito Bustamante, Chikka Asia chief operating officer. 

Currently dubbed the SMS capital of the world for producing up to 15 percent of the world’s SMS (Short Messaging Service) volume, the Philippines has significantly risen to prominence as a regional center for excellent wireless applications development, thanks to wireless applications developers like Chikka.

In 2001, the company launched a mobile instant messenger that was the first of its kind, marrying instant mess-aging technology popular in the US with "texting" which was the rage in this part of the world.

Today, next to e-mail, Chikka claims to be the one Internet-based service that is bringing the largest number of Filipinos together as an online community. At any given time, over one million users are chatting between their PCs anywhere in the world and Philippine mobiles.

Leveraging off this "text culture," Chikka has since created multiple platforms that have "SMS-enabled" every conceivable aspect of Philippine life, from text-enabled product promos to government "text hotlines," from SMS-based showbiz news to interactive TV, matchmaking among prospec-tive dates, to bidding for items up on auction.

Chikka also licensed its globally patented processes to partners who have, in turn, launched the first variable peer-to-peer call credit transfer application, enabling people to give each other load, anytime, anywhere, under any circums-tance.

In fact, an application that enabled people to donate their "load" to victims of the 2004 Asian tsunami via UNICEF was a spin-off of the same platform.  

"Currently, one or more of our products are on production with 19 carriers in 11 countries. Our ISO certifications give assurance that we export products that are not only universal in terms of their utility, but also strictly compliant with global standards on quality and security," Bus-tamante said.

"A couple of years ago, it was about pioneering applications; today it is about bringing them to the world. This is what our integrated quality campaign is all about," he said.

Bustamante added: "We are happy that TUV certified our commitment to quality, securi-ty and dependability. It ultimately represents our own accountability to shareholders, customers, partners and company employees."

TUV Product Service is an international compliance organization for the IT, defense, consumer, automotive and other industries. It provides a full range of compliance services (testing, consultancy, interna-tional compliance management) for the radio and telecoms industries.