Case Study: CycleTel empowers women with SMS family‑planning at scale with ThoughtWorks

CycleTel - Customer Case Study

ThoughtWorks’ Social Impact Program teamed with the Institute for Reproductive Health (IRH) to put the Standard Days Method® (SDM) — a low‑cost, user‑controlled family planning method — directly into women’s hands via mobile phones. The challenge was to design a culturally appropriate, confidential and scalable SMS service that could reach women with limited clinic access, address language and social sensitivities, and navigate India’s complex wireless provider and telco landscape while ensuring sustainability and real‑time monitoring.

ThoughtWorks delivered CycleTel™, built on Python/Django with a Kannel SMS gateway, after a two‑week QuickStart and a 12‑week development cycle. The system screens new users, sends Hinglish “safe/unsafe day” alerts, tracks cycle length, supports opt‑in/opt‑out, stores real‑time data in a central database, and includes 24/7 monitoring and help‑line integration. Piloted in Uttar Pradesh and deployed in April 2011, CycleTel validated SMS as an effective delivery channel, enrolled a 500‑user test market, and positioned IRH to scale the service through telco and donor partnerships.

CycleTel