Press Room
Chikka on iPhone: welcome news for global Pinoys
July 16, 2010
For Filipinos, working abroad is a difficult but financially rewarding decision many of them make for the sake of their loved ones. Being apart from families and friends isn’t easy, and it takes a lot of work for them to maintain relationships separated by great distance.
Fortunately, certain technological advancements such as Chikka Messenger have enabled people to bridge that gap. Created in 2001, it is an online application that allows users to send free text messages from their computers to mobile phones. It has since then been one of the most-used communications tools preferred by Filipinos working abroad who want a convenient way to talk to their families.
Keeping Up With the Times
Over the years however, there has been an increase in demand for an even more convenient way for Filipinos living abroad to keep in touch on the go. In order to address this need, a third-party application developer has made the well-known Chikka application available on the iPhone.
According to Nielsen, there are 6.4 million iPhone users in the US as of 2009. 88% of these users use the Internet, making them four times as likely to use the Internet as the typical subscriber. Since Chikka is an Internet-based application, the combination of Chikka’s services and the iPhone’s Internet capability is something the Filipinos will be able to benefit from in terms of convenience and cost efficiency.
Gone are the days where Chikka users had to be confined to their computers to be able to send free text messages to their loved ones. Thanks to the Chikka for iPhone application, users can now send free SMS from their iPhones from anywhere in the world to mobile phones in the Philippines.
The Long Wait is Over
It is an event that many Chikka users have been waiting for, and its success is reflected by the fact that few days after its release, the application ranked second in the Top Free Applications category at the iTunes Store.
The third-party developed application offers basic Chikka Text Messenger features such as Add Buddy for mobile and GTalk buddies, Send/Receive Messages to and from PC/iPhone/Mobile Phone, and Mobile Forwarding for Unified Accounts.
What’s Next for Chikka Mobile
Chikka and iPhone users will be excited to know that the company plans on releasing the official Chikka application for iPhone within the year. The Chikka-developed application will offer a sleeker design and it will have new mobile reply rates, making it worth the wait.
Non-iPhone users will also have something to look forward to, since Chikka is currently working on making the application available across mobile platforms such as the Android, Blackberry, and Symbian. Mobile applications for sending mobile airtime credits from the web to mobile phones will be available soon, as well as a paid SMS feature for countries that are not covered by Chikka’s Free SMS services.
As a Filipino company, Chikka understands the importance of family values and maintaining the strong bonds of friendship. It is because of this fully realized insight that they continue to develop newer and better ways for people to communicate with each other. With numerous upcoming applications and services, Chikka will undoubtedly continue to bring families and friends closer for many years to come.
Providing various wireless applications to over 30 mobile operators in seventeen countries including the US, UK, Spain, Italy, Hong Kong and the Philippines, Chikka has also diversified; developing applications for mobile content, commerce, and corporate solutions. According to the company, Chikka Messenger, now with over 62 million registered users since 2001, is probably the most widely-used and viewed Internet and mobile-based communications tool by Filipinos worldwide. The third-party developed Chikka application for the iPhone is available here.