• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, October 8, 2012

Sprint has partnered with Zoove to let subscribers use the mobile marketing firm’s StarStar dialing codes to create vanity shortcodes in place of conventional 10-digit phone numbers.

The StarStar Me offering allows people to choose a name, nickname or unique word in place of their mobile phone number to adopt numbers formatted like **SARAH (**72724) or **CHLOE (**24563).

Sprint subscribers can get two StarStar Me numbers per mobile phone number, each for $2.99 a month. Calls can be made to StarStar Me numbers from any Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile or AT&T mobile phone within the U.S. The other major wireless carriers are expected to also offer the service by year's end or the first quarter of 2013.

 “We expect this service to be especially popular with professionals, students and family customers, who can tailor its use to their individual preferences, lifestyles and interests with a few simple clicks,” said Kevin McGinnis, vice president-product and technology development, Sprint, in a statement.

Sprint customers can also download a free StarStar Me to manage multiple StarStar numbers, view a call log and block specific numbers, among other tasks. The app is available now for Android handsets via Google Play and will roll out soon for the iPhone through the App Store.

To date, Zoove has primarily worked with brands to reserve StarStar codes that mobile users can dial for special deals and offers. The company a year ago received $5 million in funding from Rogers Ventures, the venture capital arm of Rogers Communications.