Posts Tagged ‘MXit’

MXit more than just instant messaging – Facebook on MXit

{ September 17, 2009 @ 12:17 pm } · { 1 }
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More to MXit than just instant messaging

MXit, the social network and instant messenger, has added Facebook to its gateway offering, effectively enabling the approximately 2-million Facebook users in South Africa to interact with their Facebook contacts via MXit platform of over 14 million SA users.

Around 65% of the South African Facebook market falls within the 18-34 age demographic, making it a perfect fit for MXit’s 17 to 25 year olds

“Our aim, as always, is to create a fun and user-friendly mobile social environment that is all-encompassing and where users can create, communicate and share. We believe that the ability to converge social communities is an exciting prospect for our users,” says Juan du Toit, International marketing manager of MXit.

“As MXit expands its footprint in Africa, South East Asia and Latin America, this gateway allows users to update their Facebook status immediately via their mobile phones without having to log on to a separate network. A nice bonus is that the data costs are almost non-existent when accessed via MXit,” says du Toit.

“We are known for listening to and delivering on what our users want. Facebook was a natural evolution in our gateway offering – and simply put, MXit users spoke and we made it happen.” MXit users with the latest version (v5.9.3) will have access to the gateway, giving them the ability to expand contact bases and communicate on a multi-platform instant messaging network. For further information, log on to http://apps.facebook.com/mxitstatus/, and follow the prompts.

Currently, users can also access Yahoo, Windows Live Messenger, G Talk, AIM and ICQ via gateways on MXit.

Ends

About MXit
MXit is a global mobile instant messaging and social network that allows users to chat to one another on their mobile phones or pc anywhere in the world. It also allows users to send text messages to and from mobile phones and PCs using GPRS or 3G instead of using standard SMS technology, which is expensive.
MXit delights its users by continuously unveiling social networking, entertainment, communication and lifestyle features that benefit and enrich their lives. This commitment towards innovation is the cornerstone of its success.
MXit is a new generation company that boasts almost 15.5 million global users. It attracts more than 18 000 users per day. It is in constant evolution to match the needs of its users and is set on becoming one of the biggest instant messaging mobile networks in the world and the preferred mobile social network for communicating with young people in Africa, South East Asia, South America and the rest of the world.
MXit first introduced mobile instant messaging to South Africa in 2003. It started as a mobile game developer and evolved into a mobile instant messaging company, allowing its users to send messages at a fraction of the cost of traditional SMS.
To download MXit: Open your mobile browser, type in www.mxit.com/wap and simply follow the prompts.
Issued by:
FD Beachhead
Jean Dennis 083 500 5302 / 021 487 9019 / jean.dennis@fd.com
Dumezulu Maphophe 082 333 4659 / 021 487 9022 / dumezulu.maphophe@fd.com

MXit calls for accurate reporting

{ August 7, 2009 @ 4:06 pm } · { 1 }
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MXit calls for accurate reporting

MXit is calling on the media to stop misusing its name in what the company believes is a dangerous trend to sensationalise headlines.

The mobile social networking giant, with close to 15 million global users, is concerned about the ongoing misleading and inaccurate use of its name in media reports across all media platforms, including television, print and online.  MXit is currently consulting its lawyers to determine whether the most recent example is a breach of the South African Press Code, or indeed if it amounts to defamation.

In the latest example, media reports claim that MXit is responsible for a teenage girl from Johannesburg disappearing for 48 hours after telling her school that she would not be attending classes.  Her parents allege that she may have met someone on MXit.  The school is considering disciplinary action on the girls return and although the case is being investigated, there is no proof that a conversation with an unknown person on MXit led to the girl’s disappearance.

MXit has contacted Parktown Girls’ High school, and a MXit representative will be speaking to both teachers and students about responsible social networking next week.

“We cannot condone this behaviour or attack on our brand and are simply calling on the media to be accurate in their reporting and headlining of stories.  MXit is not the problem.  We offer a system that allows people to communicate at a fraction of the cost of sending sms or voice calls.  Our users send approximately 35 000 messages per second during peak times and the MXit community visits our platform more than 20 million times a day.  Even if it does emerge that she accepted a friend request from a stranger, it is not fair to condemn a technology of close to 15 million users for bad choices made by one user,” says Juan du Toit, international marketing manager for MXit.

“Whilst eTV was covering the missing girl story during its newscast at 7pm on Wednesday, they flashed a web address for a European teen pornography site during the newscaster’s report. This is simply unacceptable.  There is no connection between MXit and these sites and we are horrified that prime time news would even show a web address of this nature.  Our philosophy is firm – we never promote or distribute any content that reflects any political, religious or pornographic view and even restrict advertising from popular consumer magazines that could be seen as even slightly “risky”.  eTV’s actions were inappropriate and unethical,” adds Du Toit.

MXit has an obligation to ensure that its users understand that media reports are not entirely true in this case and has sent a message to its community which reflects the facts:

NOTICE: MXit SAYS NO TO POOR JOURNALISM!  We condemn the unprofessional and sensation-seeking journalism displayed by e-TV and The Star newspaper this last week.  Both news channels in some way blame MXit for the disappearance of the Parktown Girls High teen. E-TV ran this story Wednesday night, displaying a pornographic website as a backdrop to its news report – totally unacceptable as we will never promote pornography. The Star also ran articles that left readers believing that MXit is to blame.  MXit is not responsible for the disappearance of this girl. We want to warn all users again to enjoy our technology with the necessary responsibility and level of maturity; and never to reveal personal information.  We challenge both media owners to get these simple facts accurate, and to properly understand our technology. Can we trust what is reported?

“We take great care in ensuring that our users are consistently warned to use our network responsibly, to only accept contacts from people that they know and to never reveal their personal information,” adds Du Toit.

In addition to strict security measures for its users, MXit has also developed guidelines to help empower parents.

“We offer a technology that allows users to communicate in a secure and inexpensive way.  Although we understand that technology is sometimes difficult for parents to understand, we believe that they need to take responsibility for teaching their teenagers how to engage responsibly on all communications platform. We have a chat room blocking feature that allows parents to shut down the chat room capability if they believe their teens are interacting inappropriately,” says Du Toit.

Numerous parents have downloaded the MXit application so that they understand the technology and therefore able to appropriately advise and guide their teenagers.  MXit believes that this is the most sensible thing a parent could do.  “Knowledge is power,” says Du Toit.  “It is only when you understand something completely that you are able to use it to your advantage, and we urge parents to take the time to understand any social networking platform that their teens use.”

MXit on protecting its users and guidelines for parents:

MXit has the following security measures in place to protect its users:

  1. Moderators are on duty to respond to any complaints.
  2. MXit recently launched its chat room blocking feature that allows parents to block the chat capability on MXit.
  3. Users are encouraged to report any abuse they may have experienced on MXit.  This can be done on MXit by sending a “.rat” command to MXit.  This command gives MXit the authority to see the last 30 string of this conversation from reporting. A moderator will then investigate within 6 to 12 hours of reporting.
  4. MXit has a strict policy not to reveal personal details about its users to other users . Personal information can only be exchanged by users who delibralatey opted to do that despite MXit’s warning that it could be dangerous.
  5. Chat rooms contain profanity filters, and most are age restricted too. You can also set up your own chat room, and password  protect it, so the only way that someone can gain access to a chat room is if the user invites them in.
  6. Every time a user enters a chat zone he or she is reminded to keep all personal details private.
  7. A user’s identity remains anonymous when he or she is in a dynamic chat zone.
  8. MXit suspends or bans users that abuse its technology and will continue to assist authorities to stop abusers of its network.

MXit has always stressed the importance of education and responsible online behavior in a technological advancing world.   In addition to the safety regulations that is constantly reminding its users of, it has also developed a set of guidelines for parents, available on its website: http://www.mxit.com

Guidelines for parents:

Understanding the environment in which your child communicates is of utmost importance, so install MXit.  You wouldn’t let your child stay over at a friends’ house without getting to know the family, so spend some time on MXit so that you understand where your child is interacting.

  1. Have an open and honest discussion with your child.  Tell them about the potential dangers and ask them to tell you if they ever feel that someone is not who they say they are (teens are switched on to this).
  2. Allocate the amount of time your child can spend on MXit and use your mobile to monitor this.
  3. If you notice that your child’s time on MXit suddenly drops, check to see if he / she has a secret phone (it could simply mean that they are out of airtime, but check nevertheless).
  4. Check your child’s contact list regularly and follow up if with them if there is anyone that you don’t feel comfortable with.
  5. Constantly remind your child (every day if you need to) not to hand out their personal information on MXit.
  6. Tell your child that he / she should never, under any circumstances, agree to a private offline chat with a stranger.
  7. Help your child understand that they should never forward or post pictures that could cause embarrassment if passed on.
  8. If your child fails to heed your warnings and advice, simply install the chat room blocking feature.  The educational route is advisable, as children will always find another way to communicate, whether or not on MXit.

Ends

Issued by:

FD Beachhead

Sandra Sampayo                              079 167 6863 or 021 487 9000       sandra.sampayo@fd.com

Global Youth Demanding Action to Improve Sexual Health Services

{ June 8, 2009 @ 2:38 pm } · { 1 }
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Global campaign uses mobile and PC social networks to engage youth

The unacceptable facts:

• The leading cause of death of girls and young women (15-19 years old) globally is pregnancy and childbirth[1]
• There are 60 million child brides world-wide, increasing to 100 million within ten years[2]
• Each day, some 500,000 young people, mostly young women, are infected with a Sexually Transmitted Infection (excluding HIV)[3]
• Young people (15-24 years old) account for half of all new HIV infections worldwide [4]
• Only 17 per cent of sexually active young people use contraceptives[5]
• Two million girls are genitally mutilated every year[6]
• Today, more than 200 million women do not have access to the modern contraceptives they desire[7]

Governments across the globe have failed to deliver the promises they made fifteen years ago to improve the sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people, putting the lives and wellbeing of millions at risk. Shocked by the lack of progress made, the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) today launches the 15andCounting campaign on social networking platforms MXit, Facebook and Twitter – urging young people around the world to call their governments to task and demand action.

2009 is the 15th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) where 179 governments agreed on a 20-year Programme of Action to improve the sexual and reproductive health of everyone – forming a critical part of the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals. With only five years remaining to meet their commitments, many governments are failing to make progress against these goals, particularly in meeting the needs of young people.

Dr. Gill Greer, Director General of IPPF said “Those born in 1994, when governments all over the world made their commitment, are now 15 years old and have needs, desires and expectations that the world seems unprepared to address.

“It is completely unacceptable that the health and wellbeing of more than 1.5 billion young people is being jeopardized for want of political and financial commitment. Governments have failed to prioritise the sexual health services, education and information young people need to lead healthy, safe and empowered lives; it is critical they review the promises they made and to accelerate programmes to meet the needs of all young people.”

The 15andCounting campaign is asking people all over the world to sign the “Count Me In: Sexual Rights for All” petition to demand better access to sexual health services and education for everyone, which will be presented to the United Nations in October.

The 15andCounting campaign is being delivered on the ground in 176 countries worldwide by IPPF’s Member Associations. As well as spreading the message on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, the campaign will include the instant messaging application of MXit to encourage petition signatures via mobile for young people without internet access.

To sign the petition and find out more about the campaign visit www.15andcounting.org
Or
mxit.com/wap on mobile

Quotations from Youth Activists

Shaai, Youth Peer Educator, Uganda
“A problem I have as a peer educator is talking with young girls in my village. They often come to me looking for condoms and their main worry is always about unwanted pregnancy, not STIs or HIV. You see, pregnancy is visible and abortion in Uganda is still illegal. If the girls get pregnant they are aware of the problems they will face.”

Ghaith, Youth Volunteer, Syria
“Sexual rights and reproductive health are so important in our society, young people need to know more about these things. Young people have a lot of problems, because they don’t have any kind of information about STIs and HIV/AIDS. So they make a lot of mistakes. They don’t have any idea about how STIs and HIV/AIDS are being transmitted. We tell them which method of contraception would suit them best and how to use it properly. We tell them about sex and relationships education which equips young people with the skills and knowledge they need. We have a lot of young people here who don’t know anything about their rights, about sexual issues and reproductive health.”

Johanna, 15, Sex Worker, Bolivia
“It is not good living in the streets but I would rather be here then at a government institution, where I wouldn’t get to see my friends. I know all about STIs and HIV – Tina (a nurse from CIES, IPPF’s Bolivian affiliate) talks a lot about it. I don’t have a boyfriend but if I did I would try to make him use a condom but that’s not an easy thing to do. I don’t always use a condom with my clients because they don’t want to use one – they pay less if they are made to use one and my boss doesn’t let me either. My friends were taken to an institution last night but I escaped – the police came and put them in a van and took them away – they target us because we are younger and are very strict with us. They do not understand us.”

For images, case studies and interviews with spokespeople please contact

IN THE UK:
Victoria Webster, Aby Farsoun or Grant Richmond-Coggan on
020 7025 7500 or email alltukippf@trimediauk.com

IN SOUTH AFRICA (For MXit’s involvement in the campaign):
Issued by and for more information:
Sandra Sampayo / 079 167 6863 / 021487 9000 / sandra.sampayo@fd.com
Jean Dennis / 083 500 5302 / 021487 9000 /jean.dennis@fd.com

Notes to Editors:

• The IPPF

The International Planned Parenthood Federation is a federation of non-governmental organizations working in 176 countries worldwide and is a global leader in providing and advocating for the right to improved sexual and reproductive health. IPPF has a strategic focus on working with and delivering for young people. www.ippf.org

• The ICPD (International Conference on Population and Development)
The ICPD Programme of Action aims to make family planning, sexual and reproductive health and information universally available by 2015 as part of a broadened approach to individual health and rights.
• Millennium Development Goals and timeline

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are a series of eight targets with a deadline of 2015 for their achievement. The targets range from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education.

One critical failure of the MDGs was the exclusion, for political reasons, of sexual and reproductive health and rights. This was partially addressed in 2006 when ‘universal access to reproductive health care, including family planning, assisted childbirth and prevention of sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS’ was finally included under MDG 5. There is still no MDG dealing specifically with the needs and welfare of young people.

About MXit
MXit is a free instant messaging program for both mobile phones and PCs. It allows members to chat to other MXit users anywhere in the world. It also allows users to send text messages to and from mobile phones and PCs using GPRS or 3G instead of using standard SMS technology, which is expensive.
The social networking element of the business is the cornerstone of its growth. MXit is a new generation company that boasts over 13 million members globally and is growing by 18 000 users per day. It is in constant evolution to match the needs of its users and is set on becoming one of the biggest instant messaging mobile networks in the world and the preferred mobile social network for communicating with young people in South East Asia, Africa and globally.
The company introduced mobile instant messaging to South Africa. It started as a mobile game developer and evolved into a mobile instant messaging company, allowing its users to send messages at a fraction of the cost of traditional SMS.
To download MXit: Open your mobile browser, type in www.mxit.com/wap and simply follow the prompts.

Nelson Mandela tops Barack Obama as dream chat room buddy for teens

{ May 13, 2009 @ 2:08 pm } · { 1, Good news, MXit }
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Nelson Mandela tops Barack Obama as most popular online chat buddy

Nelson Mandela tops Barack Obama as most popular online chat buddy

An international survey conducted by MXit — the global mobile social network and instant messaging giant — reveals that teenagers think it would be “cool” to have South African political icon, Nelson Mandela as a chat buddy on the MXit network.

The poll, conducted amongst 5000 of MXit’s 13 million-plus global users, revealed that 25% of 15 to 24 year old youths would choose Nelson Mandela as their top person to chat to in a mobile social network environment, while US president Barack Obama came in at a close second with 17% of the votes.

International singing sensation Lady Gaga emerged the clear leader in the entertainment stakes, with 23% of users saying that they would love to have her as a “friend” and chat to her in a mobile phone chat room.

“The survey illuminated some very interesting mobile chat behavioral patterns,” says Juan du Toit, MXit’s international marketing manager. “Respected political figures like Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama seem to have struck the right chord with teenagers. These figures are increasingly being seen as “cool”. While most teens would prefer to have Madiba (Nelson Mandela) as a chat buddy, about 18% said they would love to have Miley Cyrus in their list of contacts while only 17% think it’s cool to have their best friend as part of their contacts.”

To download MXit on your mobile phone: http://www.mxit.com/wap

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