Marrying SMS with Democracy: i4uuu Group to Hold Taiwans First National SMS Presidential Poll

i4uuu Group, global leader in Bulk SMS delivery networks, will hold a national SMS campaign to stimulate voter debate and interactivity in the 300 days before Taiwan's 2004 election.

Marrying SMS Technology with Democracy: i4uuu Group to Hold Taiwans First National SMS Presidential Poll

April 7, 2003 Taipei, Taiwan,

The front page of Mondays China Times triggered a stirring of interest and anticipation among Taipei politicians and citizens alike at the appearance of a curious advertisement declaring: National SMS Presidential Election: One mobile number, one vote. Let the Games Begin!"

The China Times advertisement marks the beginning of the i4uuu Groups effort to bring the power of Mobile-revolution into Taiwanese society, one known for embodying democratic fervor in each Presidential election. In preparation for Taiwans 2004 Presidential election, i4uuu Group, a global leader in SMS delivery networks, will run various SMS polling campaigns from May 2003 until Election Day allowing voters to express their support for candidates and voice their opinions on heated political issues. Each new campaign will be advertised around the island through various channels encouraging every Taiwanese to join in the competition.

The goal of the campaign is to use the power of two-way SMS (Mobile Originated and Terminated MO & MT) to bring the immediacy, accuracy, and interactivity of SMS into the hands of Taiwans over 24 million mobile hand users. With i4uuus powerful data processing center and text messaging system (Number Processing System), polling results are certain to be accurate and immediate. Even at campaign events where tens of thousands of SMS may be submitted consecutively within minutes, i4uuus Data Center can guarantee that each telephone number only receives one vote and that results will be available for viewing within minutes.

In many ways, i4uuu is revolutionizing the traditional market research and polling mechanisms; according to Dr. Karin Jeng of i4uuus Market Research Department, SMS polling is an especially effective medium in Taiwan where the mobile penetration rate is over 106 %. Unlike traditional polling mediums which can poll only a small portion of the population and make mathematical projections that sometimes take days and even weeks to analyze, i4uuus Data Processing center is able to incorporate the votes of the entire population, filter for redundancy, and immediately process votes real-time." In this sense, i4uuus Presidential SMS campaign should provide a valuable and accurate new source of public opinion for traditional media and society at whole.

The 2003-2004 Presidential also brings particular benefits to the Taiwanese populous by providing them an interactive and economical way to voice their opinions and affect policy decisions. Unlike typical automated voice recording systems that are time-consuming and expensive, each SMS vote will only cost an individual between 0.5 and 2.5 New Taiwan Dollars (depending on the carrier). In addition, each voter will receive the opportunity to win thousands of prizes and the opportunity of having a powerful voice in Taiwanese society. For politicians, citizens, and telecommunications specialists alike, the i4uuu Presidential SMS Campaign is an occasion worth paying attention to.