Finding a Starbucks in a new city just got a lot easier via text messaging

Mobile users can use their fingers to find nearest Starbucks

Starbucks, not new to wireless technology, is now letting customers send a text message to MYSBUX to find the nearest coffee shop.

The Seattle-based national coffeehouse chain was one of the first restaurants to offer Wi-Fi Internet access in stores with the hope that folks would linger over multiple espressos. And it worked.

Now it is using Common Short Codes (CSC), which are essentially short telephone numbers used in combination with wireless short messaging services, to bring more customers into locations around the United States. Starbucks launched its Mobile Store Locator capability earlier this month.

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Starbucks, not new to wireless technology, is now letting customers send a text message to MYSBUX to find the nearest coffee shop.

The Seattle-based national coffeehouse chain was one of the first restaurants to offer Wi-Fi Internet access in stores with the hope that folks would linger over multiple espressos. And it worked.

Now it is using Common Short Codes (CSC), which are essentially short telephone numbers used in combination with wireless short messaging services, to bring more customers into locations around the United States. Starbucks launched its Mobile Store Locator capability earlier this month.

If you have a tween, or are a closet "American Idol fan" yourself, you may be familiar with this type of messaging. In the case of "American Idol",only Cingular customers can text a vote for their favorite idol to VOTE.

Typical CSC texting is interoperable across all wireless service provider networks.

This is how it works in Starbucks' case: If you find yourself in Nashville for the first time and a strong caffe latte is your thing, simply text the zip code of where you are to MYSBUX and you’ll receive a message with the location information for as many as three of the closest stores.

“This is a fairly new practice and it’s growing in popularity,” says a spokesman from Common Short Code Administration , which is part of CTIA. “Many well-known household brands are leasing short codes to do segmented marketing.”

And that’s exactly what Starbucks is doing.

The company is also letting smart phone users go to www.starbucks.com to see a simple store locator formatted for viewing on small mobile devices.

Read more about wireless & mobile in Network World's Wireless & Mobile section.