<p>"Our service turns even a normal phone into a smart phone," said Sam Rufus Nallaraj, CEO of Mxit India to the Business Standard, at the official launch in Hyderabad earlier this week.</p><p>Like other messaging apps, Mxit allows users to send text messages with their phones. But it operates on an especially light data network, requiring only a 2G connection, and the cost for sending texts with it is less than the average cost of sending them.</p><p>Users can purchase games, songs and other products using only the app, which applies money from pre-existing mobile accounts.</p><p>Mxit first launched in 2007 in South Africa --- which is currently home to more than 6.4 million users -- and the app has another million users worldwide. Mxit is officially supported in Malaysia, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Nigeria, Kenya, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain.</p><p><a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/heres-why-mxit-new-messaging-system-will-overtake-whatsapp-bbm-wechat-india-1551941">Keep reading...</a></p><p>Read also:</p><p><a href="http://indianexpress.com/article/technology/mobile-tabs/south-african-messaging-app-mxit-to-target-feature-phones-in-india/">South African messaging app Mxit to target feature phones in India</a> (Indian Express)</p><p><a href="http://mg.co.za/article/2014-01-31-00-helps-at-hand-for-connected-moms">Help&#039;s at hand for connected moms</a> (Mail &amp; Guardian Online)</p><p><a href="http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/78/109093.html">Telkom Mobile runs successful campaign with its Mxit app</a> (Bizcommunity.com)</p><p>Explore: <a href="http://news.google.com/news/more?ncl=ddmWKrM9qrBmfOMSHeK6ol50xOYdM&authuser=0&ned=us">5 additional articles.</a></p>