A startup tired of limited group features in standard SMS has launched a reply-to-all service dubbed 3jam. With 3jam users can send a text message to a group and the twist is that replies to that message then go back to the whole group. Phones already let you send a message to more than one person but there is not a way to see who else may have gotten the message or to send a reply to everyone.
Messages can be sent online or from a handset. There is no software required so 3jam is compatible with any SMS compatible handset.
3jam is currently live and was officially launched at DEMOfall this morning. It's free to use though normal text message fees do apply (if you send a message to 5 friends it counts as one sent message however). When asked about their business model, 3jam told MobileTracker that the company hopes to partner with wireless carriers and get a cut of the standard text message fees.