Bulk SMS AND MMS ban hit enterprise messaging solution firms

The EMS companies provide a set of wireless and messaging solutions to network and content providers enabling them to kee in touch with their customers.

One such company, Unicel Technologies, says it is losing over Rs.15 to 20 lakh daily.
"If things continue like this we are likely to suffer a loss of Rs.1 crore till Sep 30," said Vinay Aggarwal, managing director.

Unicel caters to around 20 BPO (business process outsourcing) companies and with this ban these companies will have to create more manpower to call its customers instead of messaging.

"A lot of critical messaging happens. Genuine as well as non genuine content everything has been banned," said Aggarwal.

The company caters to over 500 enterprize customers.
"Enterprize solution companies such as Unicel technologies are incurring a huge loss as their core business is bulk SMSs unlike the telecom operators who are having far little trouble," said Rajan Mattews, director general of cellular operators association of India (COAI).

However, profit margins of telecom operators would decline.
"Though it will be difficult to provide an exact data, the total loss that the industry is likely to suffer should be around Rs.3 to 4 crore," said Mattews.
The COAI has requested the telecom department to relax the ban and allow essential messaging services to avoid inconvenience to the subscribers.
"These includes transaction alerts sent by banks to the mobile phones of their customers," said Mattews.

The government had initially banned bulk SMS and MMS services till Saturday ahead of the Ayodhya verdict Sep 24, in a bid to check the spread of rumours or hateful messages. However, the Supreme Court Thursday postponed the verdict till Sep 28, resulting in an extension of the ban till Sep 30.