getting so much better all the time, page-2

starting to come up on the radar I would think Herald Sun

Savvy text to nab Indians

INDIAN students who wag school are going to really hate the Australian company MGM Wireless.

In one of those deals that appears made in heaven, the software company has signed a two-year licensing agreement to distribute MGM's messageyou school attendance management system.

Parents whose children don't turn up at school get an immediate text message which is bound to lead to some stern, early intervention.

Vishal Makwana, who will be managing director of messageyou India, said he was sure of success because of India's strong focus on education and the high standards at private schools.

"Middle-class families will pay any price to get their children into the most prestigious schools," said Mr Makwana, whose family own distributor Roltin Global.

"But these 'benchmarking' schools in turn will expel students who are not performing academically because they have to maintain their standing.

"Messageyou provides a flexible communication solution for both schools and families. It optimises school attendance which inevitably results in better grades and it relies on the most popular personal communication platform in India -- text messaging on mobile phones."

Mr Makwana said unlike western cultures, Indian children had a lot of respect for their parents.

"This does not, however, stop students from wagging school in great numbers.

"But it does mean that even the presence of the messageyou solution will act as an immediate deterrent."

MGM chairman Mark Fortunatow said the deal was an important strategic move because of India's rapidly growing middle class.

"In the private sector alone the market is more than 100 times larger than the entire Australian schools market," Mr Fortunatow said.

MGM already has a 92 per cent share of student attendance communication systems in Australia.

Wagging students at prestigious benchmarking schools in Ahmedabad will be the first to feel the full force of the parental backlash from the messageyou system.

MGM shares jumped 3 or 37.5 per cent to a year high of 11.