Following a review of what our customers are telling us and prior to launching our new Treasuremytext 2 service, we’re announcing a new pricing structure and revenue model.
Treasuremytext is going to be free. $0.00. EUR 0-. £0.00. Zero! This follows previous announcements that we will operate the service under a ‘Freemium model’ with free limited accounts and paid unlimited accounts. So why the change of heart and how will Treasuremytext make money?
We know from experience that people will pay a premium for an unlimited account at Treasuremytext but we see this cost represents a barrier to some users who would otherwise happily use the service for free. Furthermore the trials of our beta “Treasuremytext for iPhone” application have been very successful indeed; far surpassing expectations of take up amongst international iPhone users.
Treasuremytext therefore will offer a free service to those users globally who ‘treasure their texts’ by sending them to the service via SMS (the user pays their network operator the cost of the SMS). In addition we will develop client applications (for example the Treasuremytext for iPhone) which we will charge for. Apple’s recent release of the iPhone SDK will enable a marketplace for applications for iPhone. In addition to a premium edition of Treasuremytext for iPhone, we may work in partnership with developers to create clients for other devices, (for example for S60 phones). The handset application marketplace is growing and having tested the marketplace with our beta Treasuremytext for iPhone application we are confident that a Treasuremytext for *other devices* will be a success. Having carried out significant work on our Treasuremytext API, we are already part way there to launching a suite of apps. Exact plans for the API and subsequent partnerships will be announced soon.
In addition to client applications, we are also exploring plans to enable third party use of the Treasuremytext platform and ways in which we can integrate with value add services enabling users to do more with their SMS; for example, but not limited to: on demand printing of SMS / Text Books, or t-shirts from the application.
Treasuremytext 2 will come out of invite only beta soon (March 2008).
What I like best about my iPhone is that I only have to carry the one gadget to have my calls, email and music.
Sounds great.
I hope there’s an application for the sidekick Id.
Will the potential revenues from this model make it a “life-style” business or “high growth” business?
Well the plan is to make it a high growth business of course! We’re going to be working with advisors who have had significant success in the area of mobile applications, so we will have some strategic help with product strategy and distribution partnerships.