CTIA announced today that that the Common Short Code Administration (CSCA) has opened registration for 6-digit short codes. Up until now Short Codes have been limited to 4-5 digits. For those of you who do not know, a short code is a special telephone number, but shorter than a full telephone number, that is specifically designed to address SMS and MMS mobile marketing messages from mobile phones. Examples of Short Codes you may have come across are the ability to send a text message to GOOGL (46645), Mozes (66937) or to vote on American Idol (7827).

As you can see, examples of the kind of wireless communications that short codes enable include consumer voting, marketing campaigns, direct downloads of ring tones and wallpaper, text alerts, bill paying and donations.

“The expansion of our CSC program is just another example of how wireless is revolutionizing the way we communicate and connect with the world around us,” said CTIA – The Wireless Association® President and CEO Steve Largent. “Only wireless can offer businesses the ability to meet their customers on the move and with this announcement even more enterprises can enter the game.”

The Common Short Code Administration says the addition of the 6-digit format represents a 10-fold increase in available codes.

A short cost will cost you though. A vanity short code like Google (466453) (5 or 6 digits) will cost you $1000 dollars a month while a randomly given short code will only burn you $500 dollars a month. You also cannot sit on a short code as 3 months of inactivity, and or other abuses, will cause you to loose it.

There is a whole procedure to getting a short code. A good source for that kind of info, with a political point of view as well, is a Webinar on the subject hosted by MobileActive.

For more information on short codes or to grab your organization one visit the CSCA website at www.usshortcodes.com.

[Thanks Ben]

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