By PETER GRIFFIN
Mobile developer SimWorks is hoping to unite us all online with an application that allows users to upload their entire phone address book to the internet via Vodafone's GPRS data network.
The socially named Fonetango application is only 16 kilobytes in size, is written entirely in Java
and and is accessible by any phone supporting SyncML or the Symbian platform.
The idea is that users back up their Sim information or phone contact book to the web so it is safe should the phone's software fail, its power drains down or it is lost or stolen.
Already a number of phones and handheld computers "sync" with mail platforms Outlook Express and Lotus Notes. But Fonetango's selling point is its ability to allow a central phone book to be updated remotely.
A user then logs on to the internet via their PC to edit their contact information. Fonetango then takes on some of the characteristics of Instant Messenger.
The Fonetango database cross-references users who are linked through one-sided contact book entries.
"The idea is that if you've got their numbers some of them might want yours.
"Send an invite to these people and when they sign in the pending invites are waiting for them," said Simworks founder Aaron Davidson.
SimWorks is ramping up its sales effort on Fonetango, in development since October 2001, and will initially tap the Australian and British GSM operators for customers.
It would make its money selling licences to mobile operators. Davidson said the retail price point envisaged was $4.95 a month but that some operators might choose to give it away.
"There's an argument that the operator doesn't have to charge for this because it drives data and call revenue," he said.
"Making sure people have bigger address books, they'll make more calls."
Fonetango currently dealt with names and phone numbers but would soon be expanded for phones including emails, pictures and addresses.
An application for Outlook to Fonetago and Webmail to Fonetango contact syncing was also on the cards. PC cradle syncing to the internet for more sophisticated phones will become available later.
Fonetango's web features would need to be tweaked for privacy purposes. By default fellow contacts phone numbers would be readily available.
