Thrrum MMS Search for T-Mobile and Verizon

Yikes – here is me slating MMS based visual mobile search and both Verizon and T-Mobile in the US sign up for it?

Have I missed the plot or what?

I thought about this for a while and what I think is that the US market has been late to develop in messaging – but messaging is taking off. By positioning or using MMS as the visual mobile search backbone – it’s easy to explain the service and the pricing for it is simple and MMS isn’t so “uncool” as it is in Europe.

Well, I might be completely off the mark –but that is my take.  The fact it is free might also help! Plus AT&T and Sprint also use it.

So back to the story:

What is Thrrum?
Basically it is a visual mobile serach service for the physical world. You take a picture and browse related information online (similar to Kooaba).
From the press release:

“The Thrrum MMS Search service was introduced earlier this year for AT&T and Sprint wireless subscribers,” said K. Gopalakrishnan, CEO of 23half. “Now, T-Mobile and Verizon wireless subscribers also can point their camera phone at a book, a product label or any printed material, take a picture and send a picture message to get relevant information right on their phone. With Thrrum, any text that you see around you becomes a hyperlink that can be “clicked” upon with your camera phone.”

Thrrum MMS Search brings together visual recognition technologies and information search in the context of camera phones. Based on technology first demonstrated by 23half in 2005 in the “nThrum” technology demonstrator, Thrrum MMS Search presents a unique approach to hyperlinking the physical world with related information. The MMS Search technology is protected by an extensive suite of patents pending worldwide.

Related News:

1. Thrrum MMS Search brings Mobile Visual Search to Sprint Camera phones
2. Yikes Does MMS Search Work?
3. Vodafone Germany launches mobile visual search service “otello”
4. Shriek Mobile Search Innovation: Veveo extends partnership with Verizon for Video Search on TV
5. Federated Mobile Search Medio Verizon and Google