Yes, one million people in Thailand are expected to be able to do so within the next year, the country's largest cellular operator Advanced Info Service (AIS) has forecast.

The company yesterday announced the launch of its innovative service, which combines the privacy of a website with the mobility of a cell phone.

Executives hope the new web-to-phone service, allowing anonymous calls between two persons, will become as big a hit as social-networking websites such as HI-5 and MySpace.

Under its Connect service, users can post photos and write stories on the new AIS website (www.connect.ais.co.th) and then wait for someone to click on one of the photos. A central server will send an SMS to both parties asking whether they would like to talk to each other.

The key is that they can talk and get to know each other without revealing their numbers.

"We're breaking the boundary that Internet users have to stay in front of their PCs to be able to communicate with friends through adding mobile communication, but people can still keep the anonymity they have enjoyed on the Web," said Prathana Leelapanang, AIS's strategic planning manager.

Besides using the services to find friends, AIS also expect Connect members to do other things such as exchanging or auctioning their goods.

Waralee Jirachaisri, AIS's marketing PR officer, said Connect would meet the new lifestyle trend that people now like to have some space of their own. "It's likely to help us in consumer relationship management since the service is exclusive to AIS subscribers," she said.

"It's an answer to our emotional need to find friends as an individual or as a group, and it's always on - you don't have to wait until the next time your friend logs on to a computer."

Users can transfer their photos, music and other data on their handsets to the Connect website to reduce memory storage constraints on their phones.

AIS expects the service to help retain customers since once they have the identity and storage on the website, they would feel less likely to change their phone numbers.

Service fees are Bt1 a minute for voice calls, Bt1 for each SMS and Bt2 per MMS. Only the person who initiated the call or message is charged.

AIS has invested Bt10 million in the new service, which has already been launched for all its 18 million subscribers through GSM Advance, 1-2-Call, Sawasdee and GSM 1800.

Pichaya Changsorn

The Nation