Making government mobile with SMS, mobile Web
January 19, 2009
Mickey Alam Khan is editor in chief of Mobile Marketer and Mobile Commerce Daily
Tomorrow one president's mobile phone will go silent and the other's will come alive. But while Barack Obama will most likely lose his BlackBerry, we hope his passion for mobile marketing and technology won't diminish.
As Mr. Obama had proved throughout his primary and presidential campaigns, mobile was a great tool to connect with the masses and engage them on fundraising and vote-getting tasks. He even won this publication's Mobile Marketer of the Year award for his deft use of the channel (see story).
But the time has come to take that commitment a step further. Mr. Obama will soon have control of the bully pulpit, with the ability to correct the economic course of this nation.
In his stimulus package, Mr. Obama has stressed the need for greater broadband penetration nationwide for better Internet access. We agree with that need.
Mr. Obama's package also calls for infrastructure improvements -- bridges and roads, in particular. While repairing dated bridges makes sense, building more roads -- instead of rail lines -- doesn't. Roads breed cars. Doesn't that contradict the stated goal of this country to decrease dependence on fossil fuels and foreign oil?
Anyway, leave the road-building issue to the construction, automotive and oil trade publications and mobile to this.
National mobile policy
If we were to lobby Mr. Obama for making government mobile-friendly, our list would focus on three areas: mobile Web sites, common short codes and mobile payments.
The mobile strategy of the Obama Administration would be to help government at all levels engage better with this nation's citizens and residents. Its objectives would be enshrined in a national mobile policy, drafted in consultation with industry, consumer advocacy groups and consumers.
Start with the White House. As of today, there is no mobile version of the official wired Web site at http://www.whitehouse.gov. Mr. Obama and his press office should change that within weeks of his arrival.
Next, he should continue to use 62262 (OBAMA) as his presidential short code.
There is no reason why Mr. Obama cannot communicate with the people via SMS text messaging. After all, every president uses radio, television, online and print media to communicate his policies to the people. Adding mobile will bring the presidency into the 21st century.
Mr. Obama's cabinet should take the cue from their boss and also develop mobile Web sites and use short codes.
All should go mobile -- the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health & Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing & Urban Development, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury and Veterans' Affairs.
Add to that offices of other Cabinet-rank members: Vice President, Office of Management and Budget, Environmental Protection Agency, White House Chief of Staff, United States Trade Representative and the Office of National Drug Control Policy. All should have short codes and mobile sites.
Similarly, Congress should make its sites mobile-friendly. The sites at http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov need to have mobile versions, as do the sites of the individual senators and representatives.
In addition to mobile Web sites, the Senate, House and their members should have individual short codes for their constituents to reach out to them via mobile phone. They already can reach their senators and representatives through phone, fax, email and mail, so there's no reason why text cannot be added to the mix.
Text returns
Making the thousands of federal agencies -- from the Federal Trade Commission to the Federal Communications Commission and the Internal Revenue Service -- more mobile-friendly should be a top priority. Each should have a short code and a mobile Web site.
It would be ideal, indeed cool, to pay taxes to the IRS by mobile phone, but that is not likely to happen anytime soon due to security fears and the limitations of the mobile medium. But that should not preclude the use of SMS and mobile site for information-dissemination and deadline reminders.
Mr. Obama on Thursday, Jan. 15 sent an SMS text message to opted-in individuals who had signed up for news of his campaign to visit USAservice.org (short code 56333) for volunteer opportunities. The site lists about 6,000 different projects and volunteer opportunities.
Moving away from the federal level, there are 50 states, one district and a few territories in the Union. Each governor's office needs a mobile Web site and a short code. So do the individual state legislatures and legislators.
And then there are the 7,000 individual taxing jurisdictions nationwide, including municipalities for the numerous cities and towns. Each one of them -- mayors' offices included -- requires a mobile Web site and short code.
Those jurisdictions must also ensure that their mobile sites and systems are capable of acceptable mobile payments -- taxes, for example. It is key to make sure their payment systems link to banks and payment franchisees.
Consumers should eventually have the ability to make payments by text or transfer funds from their mobile banking account to a secure account belonging to the taxing jurisdiction. Tickets for parking or speeding violations can fall under that category. Emergency alerts or reminders via text are other uses.
Making government mobile is not difficult. If every entity mentioned here has a wired Web site, email, mail and fixed-line phone contact, why not mobile Web sites and short codes for serving citizens on the go?
The proliferation of smartphones, better data plans and increased consumer use of mobile for more than voice are reasons enough that a mobile government will work and be welcome.
We even welcome departing President George W. Bush to launch a mobile site to complement the wired Web site of his soon-to-launch presidential library in Southern Methodist University.
As for the short code for text messages, if it's available, we encourage Mr. Bush to opt for 38292. It spells DUBYA.