Smart's got your mails!

MANILA, Philippines - In this day and age of mobile broadband and “hot spots” dotting the metropolis, being away from home or one’s workstation is no reason not to be able to read and reply to one’s e-mails.

Freelance writer Allyn Baldemor, for example, may be out all day going after a story and still keep tabs on her inbox, especially when she’s awaiting urgent verification of information. She does this via her cellphone - and it isn’t even one of those sleek, hi-tech handsets.

She uses Smart Go Mail, the country’s first and only flat-rate, SMS-based “push” e-mail solution available to both prepaid and postpaid subscribers. The service “pushes” her e-mail to her cellphone inbox for a fixed, affordable cost.

“It’s perfect for people like me who rely on e-mail to do their work but can’t always be at their desks,” Allyn says. 

Smart Communications Inc. recently launched Go Mail to be able to offer mobile e-mail across handset types and functionalities.

Says Danilo Mojica, head of Smart’s Wireless Consumer Division, “We would like to make e-mail universally available on the mobile phone for the benefit of the everyday Filipino. This is yet another service in the range of Smart’s innovative and affordable offerings that make the use of voice and SMS ubiquitous.”

For only P20 per day, Smart postpaid or prepaid subscribers, using any type of handset, can register to access up to two e-mail accounts. To register an existing e-mail account, simply text MAIL and send to 7077.

Once registered, subscribers can have an unlimited number of e-mails automatically pushed to their cellphones from their personal accounts with the most popular e-mail providers such as Yahoo!, Gmail, Windows Live! and Hotmail. They can read and send e-mails as well as download or attach files while on the go. It’s as easy as SMS or text messaging!  

For small and medium entrepreneurs who want to monitor the day-to-day operations of their businesses, Smart Go Mail also provides access to e-mail accounts provided by local ISPs with their own POP/IMAP-compliant e-mail servers.

For longer yet more affordable access, Smart Go Mail offers 30 days or a month of the same seamless access to mobile e-mail for only P199.

Postpaid subscribers will be charged on top of their plan’s monthly service fee (MSF) for the use of the Smart Go Mail service. For prepaid subscribers, applicable charges will be deducted from their airtime load.

To purchase either the daily or monthly package after registration, text DAILY or MONTHLY to 7077.

Subscribers may also go online (http://smartgomail.com.ph) to input their mobile number, e-mail address, password, and choose their handset model to start using Smart Go Mail. Subscribers registering Yahoo! E-mail accounts must do so via the same website. 

“This is part of our ‘Internet for All’ advocacy to bring the benefits of the Internet - most of all e-mail - to more people,” says Mojica.

Smart Go Mail works on both Symbian- and Java-based devices, and is supported by both old and advanced handset models. It also features data compression, enabling users to view large amounts of data through their mobile phone.

For more information on Smart Go Mail, visit http://smart.com.ph/smartgomail.