TxtWeb
| TxtWeb | |
|---|---|
| Original author | Scott Cook |
| Developer | Manish Shah |
| Initial release | 2011 |
| Type | Application framework |
txtWeb was a SMS text-based application platform for non-smartphone users residing primarily in rural India. It was founded by Scott Cook, Manish Shah, Manish Maheshwari and Clinton Nielsen.[1][2][3] The founders jointly hold the US patent on “Method and system for providing a stateful experience while accessing content using a global textsite platform” , which forms the core of the txtWeb platform.[4]
It brought the benefit of the World Wide Web through text-based apps (hence, txtWeb), which were crowd-sourced from local businesses, publishers, and developers supported by the payment solution, txtPay. This platform was launched in 2011 and it grew to 12 million users and 1 billion transactions by 2014.[5][6] It became the subject of GSMA's global case study on empowerment through information and won the NASSCOM and mBillionth 2012 Award for Innovation.[7][8]
One of the interns in the txtWeb team was Evan Spiegel, who went on to create Snapchat (later rebranded as Snap).[9][10][11]
Timelines
[edit]TxtWeb was founded in 2011.
By 2014, the platform had over 12 million users, 3000 apps and was used across 400 towns and villages in India.[5][12][13]
It was shutdown around 2015 as smartphones became ubiquitous and data plans became affordable in emerging markets.
References
[edit]- ^ "Intuit's txtWeb platform a big draw with young app developers". www.thehindubusinessline.com. 5 May 2014. Retrieved 2022-03-12.
- ^ Kumar, Divya (2011-06-23). "SMS and surf". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2022-03-12.
- ^ "Flipkart Makes Senior Level Appointments - The New Indian Express". www.newindianexpress.com. 4 April 2015. Retrieved 2022-03-12.
- ^ US20120042021A1, Shah, Manish R.; Nielsen, Clinton & Maheshwari, Manish et al., "Method and system for providing a stateful experience while accessing content using a global textsite platform", issued 2012-02-16
- ^ a b Abrar, Peerzada. "Startup txtWeb may cross 1 billion Indian users in 5 years". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2022-03-12.
- ^ technuter (2014-05-07). "txtWeb scales new heights, crosses one billionth mark". Technuter. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
- ^ "txtWeb from Intuit Inc, a cloud-based global platform to make content and services available on any mobile phone, has been declared the runner-up of the NASSCOM Innovation Awards 2013 under the Technology Innovation category. The award recognises txtWeb as a new and an innovative technology that has made a significant impact in its industry segment. The award was presented by Milind Deora, Minister of State for Communication and Information Technology". The Times of India. 2013-02-15. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
- ^ IndianWeb2. "Develop your own Mobile App using txtWeb!". Indianweb2.com. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ bio, See full. "Snapchat's Evan Spiegel: Saying no to $3B, and feeling lucky". CNET. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
- ^ Dinesh, Akshaya (2018-04-11). "Startup Lessons from Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel: An Interview". Medium. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
- ^ "Evan Spiegel's Net Worth: A Deep Dive into the Journey of Snapchat's Co-Founder". HulkApps. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
- ^ "Developer challenge for mobile apps". The New Indian Express. 16 May 2012. Retrieved 2022-03-12.
- ^ "Now, send an SMS to know auto distance and fare - Indian Express". archive.indianexpress.com. Retrieved 2022-03-12.