SMS Translates English into Chinese

Singapore's M1 has launched a new service the translates English SMS's into Chinese. The SMS Translator service allows the SMS message to be sent in English and within seconds, the recipient will receive a translated SMS in Chinese. All the sender of the SMS has to do is to key in the letters "EC" followed by the recipient's mobile number and the SMS message in plain English.

Customers can also use it as a mobile translation service or dictionary by sending the SMS to themselves. They can then verify the translation if they wish to redirect the SMS to their friends.

SMS Translator is available free to M1 post-paid customers till the end of the month. From 1 October, each translated SMS will cost US$0.12 but customers will not have to pay registration or monthly subscription fees.

"I believe SMS Translator will appeal to a sizeable segment of the population. It opens up an entirely new channel of communication that was not previously available to some of our customers in their interaction with their families and friends. For instance, children who would not normally use SMS to communicate with their Chinese-speaking parents can now do so with ease," said Neil Montefiore, Chief Executive Officer of M1.

More features will be added to the SMS Translator service in the coming months. In the pipeline are translation from Chinese to English and the availability of the service for global SMS."

Posted to the site on 16th September 2003