Facebook for SIM

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Facebook for SIM, also called LinqUs Facebook for SIM, is a client/server SIM application developed by international digital security company Gemalto that enabled people to access Facebook using the SMS protocol on their mobile phones, without needing a data plan. [1] [2] Facebook cooperated closely with Gemalto in the development of the product. [3] Carriers that were partnering with Gemalto to offer this service included Entel in Chile, Tigo in Colombia, and Telecom Personal in Argentina. [1]

Contents

History

Gemalto first announced Facebook for SIM at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. [3] [4] [5]

The service launched in October 2011, with the carrier Telecom Personal in Argentina being the first carrier to adopt it. [2]

In September 2013, Gemalto updated Facebook for SIM to include Facebook Messenger. [6] [7]

Since then, the service has been decommissioned. [8]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 "Facebook for SIM: Bringing Facebook to any mobile". Gemalto. Archived from the original on January 28, 2014. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
  2. 1 2 Tofel, Kevin (October 6, 2011). "Facebook for SIM uses SMS; no data plan required". GigaOm. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
  3. 1 2 Cohen, Jackie (February 14, 2011). "First Facebook SIM Card Released". AllFacebook. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
  4. Protalinski, Emil (February 14, 2011). "Gemalto creates SIM card that brings Facebook to feature phones". ZDNet . Archived from the original on February 18, 2011. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
  5. Chansanchal, Athima (February 15, 2011). "Facebook takes over the world, one SIM card at a time". NBC News. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
  6. Cohen, David (September 12, 2013). "Facebook Messenger Added To Gemalto Facebook For SIM For Feature Phones". AllFacebook. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
  7. "Gemalto's LinqUs Facebook for SIM now supports Facebook Messenger". InformationWeek . September 18, 2013. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
  8. "Obsolete Products". Gemalto. Archived from the original on April 22, 2017. Retrieved March 26, 2017.