Software Review: MXit

Cheap instant messaging service a big hit

The teenagers are onto something. And no, there’s no catch. In fact, on MXit’s website (www.mxit.co.za - where you’ll get all download instructions), they say: ‘You can access it from anywhere in the world provided that there is GPRS/3G coverage.’

Okay, I know what you’re thinking. What exactly is ‘it’? Well, imagine being able to sms for around 1 cent per sms. You read that right: not R1, 1 cent. Their website provides the following tariff calculation:

200 Moola = 100 messages
1 Moola = 1 South African cent

Give me a moment to talk about look and feel before we go into setup etc. If you have a Samsung phone like I do, you’ll have to go into Applications (this is after going through downloading and installation, see below), scroll down to Java World, then open MXit. You’ll need to have added contacts (names and numbers) just as you would on other messaging services like Windows or Yahoo Messenger. MXit uses JAVA, which means you basically stay connected on one screen, and chat. Sound like a good idea? Well, around 10 000 new subscribers per day think so. And, if you don’t know by now, MXit has recently surpassed the 3 million subscriber mark.

In view of reporter.co.za’s concerns over plagiarism, it’s quite amusing (but probably shouldn’t be) that when you Google MXit (click on the news filter), you get the same story (and please note the date) with one word variations:

MXit reaches the 3 million mark
Bizcommunity.com, South Africa - 1 Feb 2007

MXit connects 3 millionth user
News24, South Africa - 31 Jan 2007

MXit captures its 3 millionth user
iAfrica.com, South Africa - 31 Jan 2007

So, with Naspers making a 30% acquisition in the company, MXit is clearly hitting the big time. And they deserve their success. In South Africa where Telkom manages to strangle free and fair communication (somehow, surprise surprise our internet and our cellular tariffs are also amongst the highest in the world), the initiative (to find ways around the bloated Telkom octopus) from companies such as iBurst and MXit ought to give them Hero Brand status.

Okay, now to set up your phone:
Firstly you need to contact your service provider and ask them to activate your GPRS and to send you your GPRS settings.

I’ll provide Vodacom’s (copied and pasted from the website), because most user’s probably subscribe to Vodacom:

Vodacom:
1 On your mobile, dial *111#
2 Select option 5 (phone settings) from the menu that follows. (Answer -> 5 -> send)
3 Select option 1 to choose your mobile make and model from a list, or options 2 to have Vodacom identify the phone for you.
4 In both cases, simply follow the steps as provided to get your WAP settings activated.
5 You will receive an SMS with your settings, save these settings.
6 If any of the above mentioned steps fail, simply retry.
7 Still having trouble? Call Vodacom’s call centre on 082 111 or visit a Vodacom outlet near you.



Now you can install this useful software:
• go to www.mxit.co.za (on your computer)
• go to ‘download’ and follow these instructions (there may be some variation, so use common sense!):

1. On your mobile, go to ‘services’ (globe icon).
2. Create a new bookmark (www.mxit.co.za/wap) and save.
3. Select this bookmark, then select ‘go to’.
4. You should be welcomed to the MXit WAP portal at this stage.
5. Check that your mobile manufacturer and model has been detected correctly. (If not, select your phone type and model.)
6. Select next
7. Select your country
8. Select your province
9. Enter the image code displayed
10. Select accept
11. Download Normal or Trusted
12. Continue accepting until process is complete

Start chatting

Now you can add all your friends and family as MXit contacts, if they have MXit. If not, they are missing out!

I’m looking forward to decreasing my cellphone bill this month by R100 to R200. Of course, I have to spread the word to all my contacts. The more people who have it, the better for all of us.

The thought does occur to me now that as awesome as this technology is, our countries don’t really need it or care for it because call rates are so low almost no one uses sms’s. But anything that can get under Telkom’s tentacles is good enough for me, for the meantime.

If you know of brilliant free software like MXit, please review it right here.

Published and edited with permission from Gillian Clapham | Business Development Manager