Bluegrass, Inland, Nex-Tech, Thumb use Interop's MPAC system

US regional operators Bluegrass Cellular, Inland Cellular, Nex-Tech Wireless and Thumb Cellular will deploy mobile technology provider Interop Technologies' Messaging Personalization and Control (MPAC) technology. Bluegrass Cellular provides mobile service to subscribers in Central Kentucky, while Inland Cellular serves Eastern Washington and North Central Idaho. Nex-Tech Wireless offers service in Central and Western Kansas as well as in Colorado. Thumb Cellular operates in the Eastern region of Michigan. All four operators already use Interop's messaging systems and are adding MPAC software to enhance the quality and value of the messaging experience for their SMS and MMS subscribers. The four deployments will make MPAC features available to their customers for a nominal monthly fee set by each operator. MPAC's personalisation features include the ability to copy and forward messages and create an auto-reply and personalised signature. Subscribers can also set up group distribution lists and save messages in an archive. MPAC's control features enable subscribers to filter messages using blacklists or whitelists that block or allow specific phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and domain names. This capacity allows parents to combat cyberbullying. MPAC also includes time-of-day controls to prevent messaging during certain time periods, such as during school hours or when children should be sleeping. In addition, MPAC can block all international messages or those originating from a specific country. Individual and corporate customers can manage MPAC features using Interop's web-based subscriber portal. The portal will be customised for each operator and integrated with its existing services.