With SMSes becoming obsolete, the free SMS service provider Way2SMS has decided to reinvent itself. While continuing to offer the free messaging service, the Hyderabad-based firm has just rechristened its name as Way2.
It’s not just about shedding part of its name. The firm is going to focus on news aggregation. Way2 would distribute news in nine languages, including English, Hindu, Gujarati, Marathi, Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil and Kannada.
Besides providing news in a magazine format, the company will send short capsules of news to its 45 million subscribers. “The machine learning solution will capture the user preferences and change the content offering accordingly,” Raju Vanapala, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Way2Online that promotes Way2, said.
Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, he said there was severe shortage of news in local Indian languages. “In the absence of availability of content in local languages, the mobile users are denied access to information. Our app will help them access the content in the languages they read and understand,” he said.
The company has no immediate plans to raise money. “We can fund the initiative internally for at least the next 18 months. We will take a call on fund raising after that,” he said.