Verizon Wireless has reversed its decision to block 4Info?s flagship common short code after the SMS search and alert service resolved issues surrounding industry guidelines.

The wireless carrier made the move after hearing from customers having issues with several short codes, one of them being 44636, which spells 4Info. The spat affected 4Info?s ability to send free ad-supported search and alert text messages to Verizon Wireless customers (see story).

?We were hoping that this could be resolved very quickly, and they got their business practices up to snuff, so we are continuing to work with them,? said Jeffrey Nelson, spokesman for Verizon Wireless, Basking Ridge, NJ. ?The consumer protection side of this is really important to get right.

?A few weeks ago we entered into a voluntary agreement in Florida about consumer objections to premium SMS, which made us take a good hard look at premium SMS operations across the board, from transparency in advertising to double-opt-in standards,? he said.

?It is important to be transparent and make sure consumers get access to information, products and services they want, but at the same time make sure they actually want it.?

Based in San Mateo, CA, 4Info offers free, ad-supported SMS search and alert services to millions of people daily as part of its mobile media platform.

Verizon Wireless is the No. 1 carrier in the U.S. based on number of subscribers.

From Verizon?s perspective, call-center traffic costs money, and complaints could potentially lead to churn.

Operationally this gets touchy, and it?s an important issue that the 4Info situation points to, which is indicative of this really important dialogue that Verizon engages in with content providers about short code best practices.

Mr. Nelson said that Verizon received 600,000 complaints in a single month about the billing of premium SMS services.

"My teeth almost fell out when I heard this," Mr. Nelson said. "The majority of those were calls to our customer service representatives wondering about charges on their bill, specifically issues with premium SMS services. "

Mr. Nelson said that people are getting stuff that they don?t understand, and carriers and content providers, especially premium SMS companies, need to figure this out.

?It?s polluting the waters here, and we want them to value premium SMS services, not be afraid of them, so this is a bigger issue than one company?s operations," Mr. Nelson said.

4Info scrambled to comply with Verizon Wireless?s demands, and once those were satisfied and the short code was restored yesterday, the company went into damage-control mode, issuing the following letter:

To 4Info customers and partners,

I am pleased to announce that 4Info and partner services on short code 44636 have been reactivated for Verizon Wireless users as of Thursday, Dec. 10. We value our customers and welcome you back!

4Info is committed to providing our customers the highest quality and most relevant mobile services through an ad-supported business model.

We are at the forefront of the mobile advertising ecosystem and actively work to develop content and advertising based on best industry standards.

As proud and active members of the Mobile Marketing Association, we will continue to advocate for responsible conduct throughout the mobile industry.

Ad-supported mobile services provided by 4Info and other companies are an important and evolving opportunity, and we appreciate that Verizon Wireless has worked diligently to ensure such services are offered in the best interests of the consumer. 

I would like to apologize for the disruption in service to consumers and partners, and we look forward to continuing to serve you in the future.

If you'd like to give us feedback on this issue, or any other, please reach out to us at , we?d love to hear from you.

Best,
Zaw Thet, CEO of 4Info Inc.