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This post is part of Mashable’s Spark of Genius series, which highlights a unique feature of startups. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here. The series is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark.

Name: Giiv

Quick Pitch: Giiv is a mobile gifting service that delivers gifts in real time in the format of a friendly text message.

Genius Idea: Gift certificates are an awesome (if occasionally generic) way to say “You rock!” Giiv.com makes this process easier by letting you give gift cards and certificates to someone you care about via text message.

Giiv.com is fairly simple: you find a gift that you want to give a friend or loved one, and then you enter in his or her mobile number and a note. Giiv.com texts them a URL and a giiv code to redeem his or her gift, either with a retailer or online.

There is a $0.99 processing fee added on to the gift amount, which seems pretty fair considering the convenience factor. You can get gifts from Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, TOMS Shoes, Fandango and others.

Sure, you can give a lot of gift certificates electronically over e-mail, but text message can be even faster — depending on the person you are giving to. Plus, if you have an iPhone, you can use the free Giiv iPhone app, which is really cool.

How do you give gifts online? Let us know in the comments.

Sponsored by Microsoft BizSpark

BizSpark is a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today.

Entrepreneurs can take advantage of the Azure Services platform for their website hosting and storage needs. Microsoft recently announced the “new CloudApp()” contest – use the Azure Services Platform for hosting your .NET or PHP app, and you could be the lucky winner of a USD 5000* (please see website for official rules and guidelines).”

Reviews: PHP

Tags: gift certificates, giiv.com, iphone apps, SMS, talkshoe, web apps