My problem:
I send and receive hundreds of text messages (SMS) messages via my
cellular/mobile phone every month. I can save many of them on my phone
but eventually I am faced with having to delete some important text
messages on my phone to make room for other text messages I want to
save.

My Question:
What alternatives do I have to save my (SMS) text messages in a
location other than on my phone itself? I need this to be easy as I am
not very technically-minded.

I am guessing you might be able to forward them to a web based archive
service but I haven't found any and would be interested to know who
provides this service and how much this service would cost. I am based
in the UK. However any international service like this would be
interesting to know about too.

Also I guess there is some way to transfer these text messages to your
PC but I don't know how? Maybe you can transfer the text messages from
a phone to a memory card inside the phone?

Your advice on this is keenly awaited.

Steve

Hello Steve,
  
Probably the easiest solution is to use the online text message
storage service, TREASUREMYTEXT. Treasuremytext was launched in 2003,
and won a Big Chip Award in the ?Best Use of Wireless Technology?
category in 2004. Initially the service was only available in the UK,
but now it is available to users worldwide.
  
  
Treasuremytext.com - http://www.treasuremytext.com/
------------------
  
How does Treasuremytext work?
 
"Treasuremytext allows you to store SMS Messages (text messages) from
your mobile phone online. When they are stored online you can then
access them to view them and to organise them.  You forward your
message to the number +447781486064 just like sending a normal text. 
When we receive your message we store it for you in your account. 
When you log on it will be waiting for you.  To save and view your
messages you first need to register and choose a subscribtion."
  
http://www.treasuremytext.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/TreasureMyText.woa/1/wo/vt2FATL2gySPTHcMCDOwog/0.0.0.10.1#faq1
  
  
How much does it cost to save a message? 
  
"Subscription costs just £1.50 per month or £12.99 a year for
unlimited message storage! You are billed when you first subscribe and
then every month or year after until you unsubscribe."
  
http://www.treasuremytext.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/TreasureMyText.woa/1/wo/vt2FATL2gySPTHcMCDOwog/0.0.0.10.1#4a
 
   
You can read more about the service here:
   
http://www.kisky.co.uk/rsrc/treasuremytext.pdf
 
 
 
 
Another solution is SIMmate. This gadget attaches to a USB port on
your computer and lets you read and write records to the SIM from your
GSM Phone:
 
SIMmate - http://www.ukphoneshop.com/simmate.asp
-------
 
"With the SIMmate range, you can easily create, edit, and backup
phonebook entries and short messages using your PC."
 
Price: £14.99
  
  
 
This freeware program, designed for Windows smartphones, lets you
manage your SMS and Contacts from your PC:
 
Smartphone Studio - http://www.airfagev.com/downloads1.asp?id=60
-----------------
 
 
  
Search terms used:
"save your sms", "transfer your sms", "transfer sms", "sim card" backup
  
  
   
I hope you find this information useful. If anything is unclear please
request clarification.
   
  
Best regards.
  
Jackburton-GA

---

Request for Answer Clarification by cuppa-ga on 02 Jun 2005 02:04 PDT

I am guessing you might be able to forward them to a web based archive
service but I haven't found any and would be interested to know who
provides this service and how much this service would cost. 

> I was hoping you would find more than just one choice in each of the
categories. Saving very personal text messages is very important to
me. Therefore I was hoping you might have found several choices in the
categories of web-based and hardware options to save text messages as
I would like to evaluate the choices within each broad option as to
track record, user friendliness of the service - and most important
which is likely to be supported over the long term. This latter is
most important if you are going to archive special romantic messages
from your partner.

Also I was interested to know about "...any international service like
this would be interesting to know about too". (with respect to
web-based services, i.e. not just UK-based, the reason I am interested
is I regularly work outside of the UK and wanted to know if there were
non-UK based services along the lines of the Treasuremytext service
you found)

Also I was curious as to whether "...you can transfer the text messages from
a phone to a memory card inside the phone?". Increasingly smartphones
have memory cards and saving texts to a removable memory card sounds
very appealing if it can be done?

Hoping you can help a little more :-)

---

Clarification of Answer by jackburton-ga on 05 Jun 2005 15:00 PDT

Thank you for requesting clarification.
 
Here are some more options:
   
  
---------------------
Jeyo Mobile Companion
---------------------
  
"Jeyo Mobile Companion is an ideal PC partner application for your
Windows Mobile Smartphone or Pocket PC Phone Edition device. It allows
you to operate your Window Mobile device from a Windows PC through a
familiar ease-to-use Outlook-style user interface."
http://www.jeyo.com/companion.asp
  
"Backup and restore SMS messages, contacts and call history"
http://www.jeyo.com/companion/features.asp
 
 
  
--------
SIMedit!
--------
  
"The SIMedit! package, which includes either the smart-card peripheral
(Personal Card System 302) the PCMCIA, or the USB smart-card reader
provides sophisticated editing and control of the phone book, SMS
messages and other data stored in a mobile phone. These data are saved
on a smart-card (SIM card), which is the heart of every GSM phone.
  
Compatible with all GSM phones, SIMedit! offers a full range of
functions for editing the contents of a SIM card, allowing the user to
easily enter any missing contact information and to edit the contents
of their mobile phone. SIMedit! provides rapid and effortless transfer
of the phone book from a database, Excel spreadsheet or other Office
application to a SIM card, ensuring that one's phone book is always
up-to-date.
 
SIMedit! allows received messages to be archived to a file on computer
disk, and also ensures the backup of numbers from the phone book of a
SIM card, so that in the event of damage or loss it is possible to
quickly restore the data to its original state. Using the SIMedit!
program it is now a simple matter to exchange sets of phone numbers
with friends or colleagues. Truly packed with features, SIMedit! does
all this and much"
 
http://www.compelson.com/simedit.htm
 
 
  
-----------
MySIMcopier
-----------
  
"MySIMcopier is a stand-alone tool enabling the end-user to copy phone
book and messages from one (U)SIM to another in complete security."
  
http://www.gemplus.com/products/gemconnect_home_mysimcopier/
  
  
  
----------------
SIM Card Manager
----------------
  
"This is SIM Card Manager. The complete SIM Card backup and management tool. 
Included are a USB SIM Card reader, 0.8m USB extension cable and
software that enables you to backup, edit, print, share and manage
your phonebook and SMS messages, directly from your PC or laptop."
http://www.007mobilephoneaccessories.co.uk/SIM_Manager/
  
  
  
-----------
Mobile WIZZ
-----------
  
"MobileWIZZTM is a wireless standalone device featuring software to
maintain your phone book and provide SMS management. Driverless, light
weight, portable and secure, the MobileWIZZTM has the capacity to
back-up over 10,000 phone book records and 1,000 SMS. Simply plug it
in and play"
  
http://www.itechdynamic.com/html/border5.htm
  
  
  
---------------
M-Mail SMSstore
---------------
  
"Q. What is the M-Mail SMSstore facility?
A. All mobile phones are limited in the number of SMS messages which
can be stored. Many will allow only 10 to be stored. So, Connectotel
provides registered users with a way to store SMS messages online.
  
To store an SMS message in your SMSstore, edit the message on your
phone so that it begins with the word STORE
 
STORE message
 
For example: 
 
STORE This is a message which will be stored
 
Then send the message to the standard M-Mail number: +447747782320
  
The M-Mail service will store the SMS message in your SMSstore area.
To access your SMSstore area, please log in.
  
Q. What is the cost of using the M-Mail service?
A. M-Mail uses the standard SMS service provided on your GSM mobile
phone. Please ask your telephone provider for details of costs for
using SMS messaging. Most providers charge around $0.15 US (around
0.10 UK pounds) per message for sending SMS messages. Note that some
Pay As You Talk (PAYT) accounts do not allow sending of SMS messages.
  
Q. How does this service work?
A. This service operates using hardware and software, developed by
Connectotel, which provides a gateway between the world of GSM SMS and
the world of Internet E-mail."
  
http://www.connectotel.com/sms/mmailfaq.html#smsstore

Hi there,

just to let you know Treasuremytext is now a free service.  An account
is free, you can store as many messages as you like online for free.
You can also create RSS feeds of your messages to publish in your blog
if you like.

Katie
www.treasuremytext.com