SaveCell service backs up mobile phone contacts

A new service means that you won't lose your contacts if you lose your handset

Firefox SMS Systems has introduced a service that securely backs up contact lists on mobile phones, ensuring that users do not lose important numbers if their handset is lost or they move to a new phone.

Available for download now, the SaveCell application uses the text message mechanism to back up a customer's contact list to a central SaveCell Vault. The service costs £1 a month, and is charged to the user's phone account as a premium-rate SMS.

However, the application currently runs only on Symbian-based phones using Nokia's S60 platform, which includes handsets from Panasonic, Samsung and LG. It also only works with phones on UK mobile networks at the moment.

Each contact is encrypted for security before sending to the SaveCell Vault, according to Firefox SMS Systems, which has no relation to the Firefox web browser.

If a customer's handset is lost or stolen, the contact list can be easily be retrieved from the SaveCell Vault, and placed on a new handset via SMS. The user can also log-in to the SaveCell web site and send out a command to wipe the contact list from their missing phone.

The company claimed that SaveCell addresses a real need, and that there are few alternatives to prevent users losing their contacts if anything should happen to their phone.

"SaveCell fits the bill because it is simple, easy, inexpensive and automatic. You don't even need to remember to sync your phone. Everything is done automatically," said Paul Hopkins, sales director at Firefox SMS Systems.