SentForever and Virgin Mobile – Texts into Space

by Chris Thomason

Some great news in that Virgin Mobile have partnered with SentForever to allow all mobile users to send a text into space simply by sending a message to 80995 (in the UK). Here’s the press release:

Virgin Mobile today announce the launch of ‘Texts into Space’, a service which allows people to send their text declarations of love and affection into the uncharted territories of space where they will travel through the cosmos for all eternity.

Ever said ‘I’ll love you forever’? Well now you can prove it!

Launching just in time for Christmas this is a unique gift idea for any loved one. The texts are transmitted via a satellite Earth Station in Cornwall by SentForever.com. Once sent you can ensure your message will live on eternally, a concept that will surely touch the recipients heart.

The ‘text into space’ costs the price of a normal text and can be sent from any mobile phone by texting the desired message to the Virgin Mobile short code 80995. Then, for just £9.95, the message recipient will receive a formal ‘Certificate of Transmission’ from SentForever.com confirming the launch of the eternal message and details of how to track the message on the SentForever.com website as it continues to travel through time and space. Email updates are also available to alert the recipient as to when their message has passed key milestones.

Tim Dowling from Virgin Mobile said “We are quite literally over the moon at the thought of millions of wishes and messages of love being texted into space”.

Stephanie Baillache, Managing Director of SentForever.com, said, “We are delighted to be working with a leading telecoms organisation such as Virgin Mobile. The collaboration of these two innovative brands will ensure our exciting service reaches a much wider audience and thankfully there are no roaming charges in space!”

Is it a gift or a present?

Do you ever find yourself looking at a certain word you use every day, only to find that for some reason it seems peculiar today? This happened to me with the word “present.” I started thinking about the difference between a gift and a present. Was there one?

Time to check the dictionary. Here’s the definition of a gift: something given voluntarily without payment in return, as to show favour toward someone, honour an occasion, or make a gesture of assistance; present. And here’s the definition of a present: something presented; a gift.

Both seem quite similar to me – but maybe it’s in the way we use them. SentForever allow people to send a free message into deep space (if you want to send one click here). We refer to this as a free gift for our customers, not a free present. Perhaps both are the same but “free gift” is the term more often used.

What I like about the definition of a gift is the part about something being given voluntarily without payment in return. When our SentForever customers send their special messages of love into deep space, they are sending a commitment to someone special which is unconditional.

There may be a response from the other person when they receive your message, but at the time you actually send it to us and when we transmit it into space and into eternity it is all one-way. You don’t actually know if there is going to be anything in response. Perhaps this is what love is all about – about giving. And hoping that the more you give the more you will receive back in return.

So, why not treat someone special to a special message of love now. If you don’t want to send a SentForever premium message, then simply have a go with a free message – it’s our gift to you.