SHORTHAND MOBILE Date:   Friday , April 02, 2010 It was around 2007, when person to application (P2A) SMS services just starting to take off. Since then, nearly every major internet brand has launched some form of text messaging service, from basic alerting to much more sophisticated services such as funds transfers using PayPal's SMS service. John McDonough, Founder and CEO, Shorthand mobile was quick to recognize the opportunity. "We predicted various SMS services at that time and many have now come into being. For example, customers at certain Subway sandwich shops in the US may order their sandwich using text/SMS. With such tools and platform one can quickly make services like Subway discoverable and easier to use," says John McDonoughm, Founder and CEO, Shorthand. John founded Shorthand Mobile in San Diego in 2007. While there have been numerous changes in the mobile landscape since the time of their incorporation, shorthand believes that accessing internet even in basic phones using SMS/text messaging through SMS Apps, will still be a great opportunity. That means, if your mobile can send or receive an SMS, you can browse the internet as well. You don't need any data plan! OFFICES: San Diego, CA & Development Centre in Chennai, India. FOUNDED: 2007 THE TEAM: John McDonoughm, Founder and CEO Prashant Kantak, Venture Advisor & Investor, Raj Oswal, Business Development, India Clientele: Content providers, cellular operators, application stores and handset manufacturers. INVESTORS: Shorthand Mobile is a privately held and self funded company Competitors: As of now Shorthand is the first SMS Browser available in India and the U.S. WEBSITE: www.shorthandmobile.com Offerings: Shorthand offers a downloadable JAVA application (Shorthand), which will come with a bundle of SMS Apps (also called TextApps).These SMS Apps along with the Shorthand platform, provide the user with simple to use, graphical and interactive experience for accessing branded content.SMS Apps include content from valuable and popular websites ranging from social networking, news and information, weather, movies, entertainment, text food ordering and more. Once the Shorthand application is downloaded to the user's phone, the user can go about their mobile day using Shorthand to access information and perform transactions, entirely without the need for a data plan (i.e. without the need for GPRS data). WHATS NEXT? : Shorthand continues to increase the number of supported handsets, continued to add relevant content in the form of SMS Apps, and continues to add distribution channels for the Shorthand application. In addition, we are planning to launch in Brazil this spring. Business model: Though the application can be downloaded for free. The user will then leverage standard rate text message while using the application. Shorthand derives its revenue from the user's usage of the SMS Apps through advertisements, purchases and other transactions, for which Shorthand receives a revenue share from the partners. DIFFERENTIATOR Shorthand stands alone in providing a comprehensive SMS Browser platform with SMS Apps (i.e. leveraging SMS to access the internet), which is now available in the US and India. Being a early player this unique differentiator has allowed Shorthand to get the traction with few major brands in both the US and India.