User:T3rminatr/MXit

MXit (pronounced "mix it") is a free instant  messaging software  application developed by MXit Lifestyle  in South Africa  that runs on GPRS/3G mobile phones and on PCs. It allows the user to send and receive one-on-one  text and multimedia messages to and from other users, as well as in  general chat rooms. MXit also supports gateways to other instant messaging platforms such as MSN Messenger,  ICQ and Google Talk. MXit does not charge for one-on-one messages though mobile operators may charge for data usage. There are also a number of pay-services,  including chatrooms.

MXit has a registered userbase of over 18 million,  about 20 million log-ons per day and over  250 million   messages sent and received per day - around 35 000 messages per second  during peak times. The application is distributed internationally and used by users in over 120  countries daily, but the bulk of its userbase is in South Africa and  Indonesia with fast growth in 123 other countries. . In January  2007, media giant Naspers  acquired a 30% stake in the company for an undisclosed amount.

Features
MXit was first released as a mobile phone IM client. Available on a variety of phones, MXit requires Java and internet connectivity via CSD,  GPRS,  3G or wifi to run. Tailored versions have also been released for the Apple iPhone (via the iTunes App Store), BlackBerry  and Windows Mobile  devices. MXit Lifestyle have also released a Windows client, MXit EVO PC. .

MXit features some of the standard functions of a modern instant messaging  client, such as a contact list,  file transfers and photo sharing via a cellphone's built-in camera. MXit also supports profile photos, tabbed conversations and message  formatting.

Contacts are added by entering their cellphone number and, as of recently, a username. Users are able to change their presence and mood via a menu on the client. Further features include support for themes, emoticons, and group chat, called MultiMX.

On 1 April 2009, MXit released an open-source  plugin for the libPurple library. This allows applications using the libPurple library such as Pidgin  to connect to the MXit network. The coincided with the release of the MXit Developer Zone web-site and documentation on the MXit client protocol.

MXit EVO
MXit EVO is a suite of products that extends MXit's reach beyond the mobile IM  space, by providing a PC client and a webchat client. It was released in January 2010.

MXit EVO PC
MXit EVO Instant Messenger allows you to connect to the MXit network from  your Windows PC. It is developed using Microsoft's Windows  Presentation Foundation  framework.

MXit EVO Webchat
MXit EVO Webchat is a Microsoft Silverlight application that can be embedded  on any website (e.g. a blog). It allows the embedder to customise the look and feel of the application.

History
In 2000 Clockspeed Mobile, a research and development division of Swist  Group Technologies, developed a Massive Multiplayer Mobile game named  Alaya. The game was SMS based and was not successful due to the high cost of SMS since GPRS was still not widely implemented. In 2003 the game was reassessed and in the latter half of 2003 the first version of  MXit was released. In April 2004 Clockspeed Mobile became independent and on the 1 July 2006 became MXit Lifestyle (Pty) Ltd.

MXit international
MXit operates in many international markets. MXit is officially supported in Malaysia, India, Indonesia, United Kingdom, United States, Nigeria,  Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain. In August 2007 MXit commissioned their European Data Centre located in Frankfurt, Germany. The purpose of this server farm is to take over most of the international traffic from the South African servers.

Tradepost
Tradepost is the MXit e-commerce  store where users purchase access to certain services such as news  reviews, movie reviews and times, music downloads, horoscopes etc. Services are paid for in Moola, the official MXit currency.

Moola
Moola is the currency used by MXit and its users. One Moola is the equivalent of one South African cent. Moola is used for services as provided in the Tradepost, as well as to chat in the  chat rooms (one-on-one messaging  is not charged for). Moola is purchased in Rand either via credit card or via a premium rate SMS  service.

MXit Music
MXit Music is an initiative to support the growth of South African music whereby artists  can expose their music to the MXit community. MXit Music is available to users via Tradepost on the MXit client, and well as the MXit Music  website.

After adding the MXit Music contact, users can access the MXit Music charts  and a host of bands. Users can preview tracks for free and download full tracks at a cost of 250 Moola (R2.50) each. Users can also cast votes for their favourite bands and access band blogs. Votes are logged in real time, and tracks are ranked within the MXit Music charts based on  the number of votes received.

The Dating Game(D8)
The Dating Game is a match making service offered under the Tradepost  contact's menu. The service allows users to create an avatar and update their personal info, if they so choose, as well as personality traits. The user then navigates through virtual chat areas in order to invite contacts for one on one chats. The matchmaker function of the dating game offers the user the chance to filter out prospective friends based  on age, hometown and personality traits.

The service is purchased for a once off fee of 20 moola. Chatting within The Dating Game also costs additional moola with each message costing 2 moola.

Criticism
Articles in the 27 July 2006 editions of YOU  and Huisgenoot  magazines indirectly implied that MXit enables access to pornography  and allows paedophiles  to contact minor users, often by pretending to be minors themselves. On 30 July 2006, the M-Net actuality program Carte Blanche  broadcasted an insert in which a young girl explained how an alleged  paedophile contacted her via MXit. The girl, however, admitted that she violated the MXit rule not to share personal contact details with other  users. The creators of MXit have since aligned themselves with South African law enforcement  to further secure minors' safety when using MXit.

Exam Results
Numerous news agencies and papers have placed articles in which they quote parents from all over  South Africa who claim that MXit is having an effect on their children's  school work. Parents argue that their children fail to communicate properly and find themselves in their own world of mobile chatrooms. This has led to parents starting to confiscate their children's phones.

Reactions to criticism
MXit Lifestyle has taken certain steps to protect minors and other MXit users. These include the provision of safety tips on the MXit website and the  implementation of rules prohibiting pornography, stalking, harassment  and other forms of abuse. Users may also ban other users from contacting them through MXit.