The system – developed by Technomation Studio, a local IT research group under the Myanmar Heritage Company – will enable users of most GSM phones to send short messaging service (SMS) messages of up to 400 characters in length and type mobile notes in the Myanmar language.

The project’s team leader, Mg Htoo Myint Naung, said they initially developed a language system called MyMyanmar, which enables Myanmar-language fonts to be used on any computer operating system or electronic device.

That system was introduced last April at the Fourth International Conference on Computer Applications at Sedona Hotel and was later made available to the public.

The research team then started designing the MySM Myanmar language system for mobile electronic devices, as well as a virtual keypad system called MyTab that enables users to type both English and Myanmar characters into the phone.

The end results were unveiled last month at the Applied Software Exhibition in Mandalay.

Mg Htoo Myint Naung said MySM works on a software framework called MyCoreMobile, which can be used to host other Myanmar-language mobile software. He said he hopes to use it to create other mobile services such as a Myanmar-English dictionary and Yangon directory.

The group is now considering ways to introduce the system to public. U Myint Thu, director of the Myanmar Heritage Company, said the MySM system is a major achievement in mobile communications in Myanmar.

“We would like to sell the system to a mobile phone servicing company,” he said. “Our team will continue conducting research and development to introduce new software to the IT field, but it is better if someone else handles servicing for mobile phone users.”

The Technomation Studio team is now developing a mobile phone security system to stop duplication of phone cards and other phone services, which it hopes to introduce next year.