Mobile Marketing Magazine

Flirtomatic Celebrates Miss World Success

Mobile and online flirting service Flirtomatic has revealed that almost 1,000 people have entered the Miss Great Britain 2009 competition via their mobile, with a further 2,000 people signing up to become judges for the competition, interacting with contestants for the chance to take part in the selection process as part of the Face of Flirtomatic competition.
Since the competition began on 23 March, more than 3,000 contestants have sent over 10,000 virtual gifts, been rated more than 100,000 times and received 1 million messages, all to try and win a place in the final of Miss Great Britain on 12 May.
According to Flirtomatic, 30% of entries (900) have come from normal, everyday girls, who perhaps wouldn’t have taken the time and effort to go through the traditional mode of entering by attending auditions. 70% have come from guys looking to be judges in the Flirtomatic competition, keen to see if they can uncover the next Miss Great Britain.
The Miss Great Britain contest has been around since 1945 but this year’s contest is the world’s first to accept entries via mobile. Combining the popularity of online social networking with a physical event has proved highly successful with both the female and male users on Flirtomatic, the company says.
“Our users, both male and female, have responded to this competition in a way that has completely surpassed our expectations,” says CEO Mark Curtis. “Whenever we try something new like this, we very quickly find out whether it’s going to be a success, simply from the way our users react. It’s true that a beauty contest, isn’t really going to rock the world, but it’s been a bold move for us to interact in such a way with an offline event. This is a physical, traditional event that began 64 years ago and we’ve pulled it into the mobile, online world. One of our aims for this, was to try and give mobile a sense of relevancy in the real world, to see if we can successfully take the work of a social network offline and I hope we’ve achieved the beginnings of that.”
The Face of Flirtomatic competition ran from 23 March until 19 April and was only open to UK users. Any girl with a Flirtomatic profile has the chance to win the Miss GB Face of Flirtomatic competition and book their place in the final of Miss Great Britain 2009 on 12 May at Café de Paris in London.

Mobile Advertising Recession-proof, says BuzzCity

BuzzCity, which provides wireless communities and consumer services, has announced the results of its quarterly Global Mobile Advertising Index. According to BuzzCity, the results show that the global recession is having little to no effect on mobile advertisers or user habits. The Index documents the growth of mobile Internet advertising and represents inventory sold across the BuzzCity Mobile Advertising Network in more than 200 countries globally. It indicates growth in the number of users accessing the mobile Internet, in spite of declining public confidence in the economy and security in the job market.   
In the first three months of 2009, the BuzzCity Advertising Network delivered 8.5 billion paid advertising banners, an increase of 11% over the previous quarter. The top 10 countries by the number of paid advertising banners delivered in each are:

1. Indonesia: 4.4 billion (23% growth)
2. India: 842 million (+16%)
3. United States: 527 million (+38%)
4. South Africa: 428 million (-8 %)
5. Egypt: 162 million (+8 %)
6. Romania: 161 million (+9 %)
7. China: 130 million (+67% )
8. Philippines: 125 million (+8 %)
9. United Kingdom: 113 million (+54 %)
10. Bangladesh: 112 million (-16 %)

Growth and usage of the mobile Internet in the first quarter was particularly strong in China (67%), the UK(54%), the US (38%) and Indonesia (23%). The UK is in the Top 10 for the first time and joins Romania in representing Europe, suggesting an increase in off-portal activity and the prospect of more advertiser interest. Italy, Spain, Sweden and France all recorded double digit growth on the Q4 2009 figures. Similarly, Egypt’s rise to 5th place is the result of steady growth in usage and advertiser interest since it first appeared on the Index in April 2008. 
“Despite a very challenging economic environment advertisers are clearly moving more of their advertising budgets to the mobile Internet, says BuzzCity CEO, KF Lai. “Competition for advertising dollars has never been more intense, but the mobile Internet’s superior ROI has made this media a part of many marketer’s plans.”
The advertising industry has more reasons for optimism.
BuzzCity tracks the growth of the network and by extension, the growth of the mobile Internet in more than 200 countries around the world via advertisements placed on more than 2,000 publisher sites.

Vodafone NZ Joins Bebo Open Mobile Program

AOL People Networks has unveiled Vodafone New Zealand as the next mobile operator to join Bebo's Open Mobile Program, which offers the mobile industry a suite of tools to provide their customers access to the Bebo social networking experience. Through the Open Mobile Program, Bebo is working with operators, handset manufacturers and mobile software developers to help them promote, distribute and monetize mobile social media.
Vodafone New Zealand is deploying Bebo Open Mobile Messaging, enabling it to offer SMS messaging to customers through the 2802 Shortcode. Users will receive Bebo SMS alerts directly to their mobile phone, and will be able to update Bebo profiles, add photos to their gallery, give virtual gifts and interact with friends. Bebo Open Mobile Messaging is available to all Vodafone’s mobile customers.
Beboers can now choose to get SMS txt updates sent free to their Vodafone mobiles and for 20c per text, update their pages directly via SMS when they’re out and about. Vodafone New Zealand customers can sign-up for this service immediately through the mobile section of the Bebo website and the Bebo mobile Internet site.
“Text messaging is a primary lifeline for everyone and everything that Bebo users want to connect with on their phones,” says Bebo Global Head of Mobile, Bebo, Sean Kane. “Mobile Messaging drives great value for operators and users worldwide as it unites ubiquitous text messaging with the Bebo community and the content they care about.”
Vodafone is the second carrier in New Zealand to join the Bebo Open Mobile Program after the announcement of Telcom, and building on the announcement of other operators, including 3 Ireland, O2 in the UK and all major Canadian mobile operators.
A month ago, Bebo revealed that January mobile page views grew by 44% and text messaging traffic by 13% month on month following the launch of Bebo Open Mobile. AOL People Networks says it expects to make further announcements regarding Bebo Open Mobile Partners and initiatives in the US and Internationally throughout 2009.

3 Ireland Launches Bebo Open Mobile

3 has become the first Bebo Open Mobile Partner in Ireland, launching the Bebo Open Mobile Messaging and Media toolkit, which enables customers to connect directly to friends by text and watch free video content on Bebo from their 3 mobile.
Launched in February, Bebo Open Mobile is a global programme for mobile operators, handset makers and  mobile software developers. The initiative offers a suite of tools to support the delivery of the Bebo social networking experience to mobile users.
From today, 3’s customers in Ireland have access to Bebo Open Mobile Internet. This is a a 3 version of the Bebo mobile Internet platform with 3 navigation, support for direct promotions and a range of customized features. They can also access Bebo Open Mobile Messaging, enabling 3’s customers to receive Bebo SMS alerts and updates on their mobile phones through the 51231 Shortcode, and to upload photos to Bebo through the 53231 Shortcode. Additionally, 3 customers can update their Bebo profiles, add photos to their gallery, give virtual gifts and interact with friends through the short code
Finally, 3 has deployed Bebo Open Mobile Video in Ireland. This enables 3 customers to enjoy video content on their mobile and share content with friends on Bebo.
“At launch, 3 will be the only mobile operator in Ireland that offers this full Bebo content social networking experience,” says 3 Sales Director, Elaine Carey. “Innovation and value is what we at 3 strive for and the speed at which people are subscribing to Bebo applications shows it’s also exactly what our customers demand.”

Unified Messaging Service Launches in Africa

ForgetMeNot Africa (FMN Africa), which delivers unified messaging for telecos, has announced that it is launching its Message Optimiser service throughout Africa. The service will be publically demonstrated for the first time in Africa at East Africa Com on 1 and 2 April in Nairobi, Kenya. 
In November 2008, LonZim plc acquired a controlling interest in FMN Africa. LonZim has established a strong presence in both the communications sector and financial services technology in the region, through its investments in Celsys, and Paynet, both of which offer strong synergies with FMN Africa and further opportunities to enhance LonZim's portfolio of investments.
Message Optimiser (MO) enables carriers to immediately provide cost-effective comprehensive unified messaging services, including email, Instant Messaging (IM) and SMS, without the end user requiring any Internet access, device upgrades, or application downloads.
With an implementation cycle of a matter of weeks, the company says, carriers can quickly enjoy additional revenue streams, monetizing channels previously unavailable to them, and offering a unique differentiator point; an array of value-added messaging services to their entire customer base. Since it does not require a data contract, Message Optimiser allows operators to increase ARPU and reduce churn amongst its pre-pay customers. 
End-users benefit from the simplicity of ForgetMeNot’s Handset Initiation technology, which turns even the most basic mobile phone into a smarter, Internet-capable, multi-channel messaging device, providing two-way email and two-way IM for both pre-pay and post-pay users alike. Handset Initiation technology is becoming vital, not only for developing nations where PC and Internet access is very low, but also in allowing users globally to have access to email and IM without the need for more expensive Smartphones, a PC or Internet connection.
“In today’s maturing mobile markets, mobile operators are increasingly focused on customer retention and service differentiation,” says FMN Africa CEO, Jeremy George. “Message Optimiser meets both needs, offering a new revenue stream from their existing subscriber base, while offering customers a unique service.”

Twitter is Go on Vodafone

Vodafone UK has signed an agreement with Twitter that will allow its customers to send updates to, and receive SMS notifications from, the messaging network of the moment.
As of today, Vodafone customers will be able to receive text messages from people they choose to follow via SMS on Twitter and send text messages to a dedicated Shortcode, 86444, for their ‘tweets, @replies, or to follow someone on the go. When receiving a text message from Twitter containing a URL, customers will be able to click on the link and access the webpage directly from their mobiles.
The SMS updates posted on Twitter will be free of charge for the first few weeks from launch; after that, they will be part of customers’ bundles. After the free period, regular charges will apply to customers without bundles, but all text message updates sent from Twitter will remain free of charge.
“We are delighted to be the only operator in the UK today to offer Twitter on SMS to our customers,” says Al Russell, Vodafone UK’s Head of Vodafone Internet services. “Since we made social networks on the move both simple to use and great value, customers have flocked to using these services, which have exploded in popularity.”
Twitter’s Director of Mobile Business Development, Kevin Thau, adds:
“Mobile texting extends the power of Twitter's real-time network in a simple but significant way. Twitter is the messaging network you didn't know you needed until you experience it over SMS.”
Vodafone says the new service is easy to use on any mobile device and offers fast mobile access to one of the most popular social networks in the world. Twitter joins a long list of social networks available through Vodafone live! since December 08.
Vodafone adds that since it began including mobile Internet access in its price plans, giving customers unlimited access to the mobile Internet, social networks have topped Vodafone’s popularity charts for the most visited sites on mobiles.

Sybase 365 Seals Asian IM Deal

Sybase 365 has announced an agreement to resell Microsoft Windows Live Messenger services to its mobile operator customers in South East Asia, providing them with a simplified way to offer Windows Live Instant Messenger for Mobile to millions of mobile subscribers. The agreement builds on the five year collaboration between the two companies on services including Windows Live Hotmail mobile.
“This agreement is a natural extension of our ongoing partnership with Microsoft,” says Howard Stevens, Senior Vice President, International Operations at Sybase 365. “Our goal is to continue to provide a win-win situation for our customers, be they mobile operators or the independent software vendors, by providing value and revenue for all parties. We are excited to be a part of bringing one of the Internet’s most popular services to millions of mobile devices around the world.”
As consumer demand continues to build for mobile messaging services beyond text, Sybase 365 believes the next logical areas of focus are multi-media messaging (MMS) and mobile Instant Messaging (IM) services. The company notes that the Windows Live community is already one of the largest on the Internet with more than 550 million users, and says it will continue to grow as it becomes more readily deployed on mobile devices worldwide.
Sybase 365 operator customers offering the service include Singapore’s StarHub and Malaysia’s DiGi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd. DiGi recently launched the country’s first integrated IM mobile client allowing subscribers to access Windows Live Messenger and other IM services on their mobile phones. 
The service is being offered initially in Southeast Asia, and will be rolled out in other countries throughout the year.

Mobile Social Networking Meets Mobile Advertising

The Association for Interactive Media & Entertainment (AIME) is staging an evening seminar in London on Thursday 2 April, entitled: ‘Mobile Advertising and the rise of Social Networking: what does it mean for Brands, Agencies and Service Providers?'
The event considers the sweet spot between mobile social networking and mobile advertising, with many people suggesting that not only will ads fund social networking on mobile, but also that it will be one of the key drivers of mobile advertising, due to the popularity of these sites, with their high engagement and repeat usage.
It will examine the mobile advertising marketplace, and the impact that social networking is having, looking at how things have improved in the value chain, making cross-platform integration of campaigns a viable proposition for brands, agencies and content providers. It will also look at the delivery of key metrics from the market and examine the impact of initiatives from both service providers and mobile network operators to improve the measurability of mobile advertising.
Speakers include Nandi Gurprasad, VP of Alliances at Bango; Peggy Anne Salz, Founder and Chief Analyst of MSearchGroove; Dusan Hamlin, Joint Managing Director of Inside Mobile; Matt Dicks, Commercial Director at Flirtomatic; and Mark Brill, Chairman of the Mobile Council at the Direct Marketing Association (DMA).
Key themes to be explored include:

• Is advertising content? 
• Brands in social media advertising – listen first, then join in the conversation.
• If social networks have become the new ‘water coolers’, incubating new micro audiences with differentiated tastes, what makes advertising too intrusive in this new environment? 
• What's the 'next big thing' in mobile advertising - mobile for the masses?
• Is it just about advertising messages? What kinds of mobile services suit mobile advertising? 
• Measuring success and understanding which types of campaigns work. 
• Are social networking services the ultimate channel for the 'long tail'?
• What is 'social currency' and how do you convert it into revenue? 
• Moving media spend into new channels like mobile.

The event takes place at the Grange Fitzrovia Hotel, London W1W 5NB, from 18.30 – 20.30, followed by networking drinks. It costs £50 to attend the event for AIME members, or £80 for non-members.  
You can register for the event here.

Flirtomatic Takes Beauty Contest Mobile

Mobile and online flirting service Flirtomatic has announced that in conjunction with its sponsorship of Miss Great Britain 2009, it is launching the ‘Miss GB Face of Flirtomatic’ competition.
It’s the first time in the history of Miss Great Britain that girls will be able to enter the competition via their mobile, using Flirtomatic. The Miss GB Face of Flirtomatic competition is the penultimate round, giving girls their final chance to enter and win Miss Great Britain 2009.
Girls can sign up by texting GB10 to 84500 or by visiting www.flirtomatic.com. After uploading an authentic picture, Flirtomatic then sends each girl a gift icon to put on her profile and they can be viewed via the web or mobile in the ‘Face of Flirtomatic’ league. The 20 girls who Flirtomatic deems to be most active with other users will be selected from the league and go through to a final judging round. One girl will be crowned the Face of Flirtomatic and win a place in the Miss Great Britain 09 competition, competing against 11 other pre-selected girls.
Flirtomatic is also offering a little something to its male users.  It wants people to interact with the competing girls as much as possible by chatting, rating them and by sending Flirtograms and ‘Super Snogs’. The 10 users, male or female, who interact most with the girls, will be selected as judges in the final judging round for the Face of Flirtomatic. The 10 judges will also each win two VIP tickets to the final of Miss Great Britain on 12 May, and find out if they helped to discover the next Miss Great Britain.
The Face of Flirtomatic competition runs until 17 April and is open to UK users only. Any girl with a Flirtomatic profile has the chance the to win the Miss GB Face of Flirtomatic competition and book their place in the final of Miss Great Britain 2009 on 12 May at Café de Paris in London.

ebuddy Celebrates 10m GetJar Downloads

Independent mobile app store GetJar has revealed that the web and mobile messaging service eBuddy has reached a landmark 10 million downloads of the eBuddy Mobile Messenger social networking application utilizing GetJar’s site.
GetJar says that eBuddy skyrocketed to this milestone due to strong consumer demand, and by employing its advertising download service to gain maximum visibility on the site and significantly increase downloads.
“Getting noticed within a premier app store filled with tens of thousands of apps is a big challenge for companies in this space,” says Jan-Joost Rueb, eBuddy CEO and Co-founder. “We’re always looking for ways to distance ourselves from the competition, and GetJar provides that opportunity through an unprecedented, effective advertising option. GetJar is our number one external source for downloads, and our partnership with GetJar has exponentially increased eBuddy’s download rate in less than 20 months.”
eBuddy has held the No. 1 download spot on GetJar for 34 weeks since first launching in November 2007. The application is available in 37 languages and offers two versions of its mobile client, the popular J2ME version, eBuddy Mobile Messenger, and the mobile Internet browser version, eBuddy Lite Messenger. eBuddy Mobile Messenger features a sleek user interface and an eBuddy ID which allows the user to create a single, unique ID which can be used to log-in and access all of their IM accounts simultaneously.
The GetJar pay-per-download advertising service enables developers and brand owners to generate downloads of their apps and/or drive traffic to their mobile sites. They can bid for premium catalogue placement per download and set their own maximum daily budgets. Geo-targeting and reporting also allows clients to focus and fine-tune their campaigns to ensure maximum ROI.

Wadja Relaunches Mobile Site

Wadja.com, the mobile web, media and messaging service, has re-launched its mobile social networking site with a new design and refreshed structure. Packed with new features that merge mobile and the web, Wadja says it has sought to create a more ‘real’ social network for users; one that is designed to move with them and bring both online and offline benefits.
Fuelled by the launch of 3G Smartphones like the iPhone and BlackBerry Bold, Wadja’s redesign comes at a time when UK mobile web use is taking off. UK mobile web users have the greatest tendency to visit a social network through their handset with 23% (2 million) doing so on a regular basis#i].
“The redesign helps to bring people together both online and offline across all communications channels, whilst adapting to your personal needs and changing environment,” says Wadja Founder and Managing Director, Alex Christoforou. “Both the mobile and web user interfaces have been overhauled and improved: we’ve added AJAX to page loads, (and) removed a lot of the clutter from our CSS and style sheets, as well as making the site more scalable to prepare it for future advancements.”
New features include Google Locations, an innovative mash-up of Google IP Locations and Loki Location API, which allows users to opt-in to keep their friends updated on their current location. Wadja says this feature is set to explode into a richer mobile location system and ultimately to be incorporated into Wadja’s mobile contextual advertising service, MessageAds.
Also new is Mobile Synchronisation. Using a syncML protocol application, users can keep all their contacts in one place by merging mobile and online contact lists. This feature also offers two-way synchronisation, so new contacts are added, whether the update occurs on the handset or online. Users can also transfer contacts from one mobile to another.
Wadja is compatible with a broad range of handsets from Nokia, Ericsson, Samsung and Motorola, as well as the iPhone.

Buongiorno Updates blinko with "20 favourites" Feature

Digital entertainment firm Buongiorno has unveiled the latest version of its mobile social network, blinko, which enables user to select 20 people with whom to share “constant and meaningful relationships, in total privacy, based at the same time, on timely and up-to-date information.”
A recent survey conducted by HPLabs and Cornell University found that in reality, each individual is in regular contact with about 20 people, who represent their key points of reference in everyday life. This means, says Buongiorno, that any social network contains two sub-sets: one packed with acquaintances with whom we have little genuine interaction and the other, more select but with whom we interact more fully. blinko has decided to concentrate on this subset.Thanks to an exclusive SMS notification service, blinko allows users to use their mobiles to share and interact with their 20 favourite contacts, without necessarily having to start a mobile Internet session. User can also send up to 30 free text messages a day to their circle of 20 favourites.
In addition, users can follow up to 10 Channels. These offer a constant update on music, sport and film, as well as national and local events. News from blinko Channels can be commented on and shared with a user’s 20 favourites direct from their mobile.
Buongiorno notes that the social network phenomenon has changed significantly in recent months and, just like every mass phenomenon, is developing along lines different from those expected initially. Users of social networks started to use them only on the Internet, often building up huge and endless networks of acquaintances, consisting of people who, in most cases, do not know one another directly - or with whom no genuine, concrete and continuous relationships exist. The repercussions in terms of privacy and overcrowding have led many people to rethink the practical utility of such extended and non-selective networks. Buongiorno says its response is a new strategic approach, which radically changes the social network’s boundaries and allows privacy problems to be minimized, thanks to personalized management of the number and type of SMS notifications.
“We are convinced that the future of social networking will be increasingly more mobile, and blinko represents a truly innovative platform, in technological and strategic terms,” says Buongiorno Chairman, Mauro Del Rio. “Therefore, it is the ideal choice for all those who want to communicate with their select circle of friends, in an enjoyable and appealing way. It has always been our mission to offer real added value for mobile communications, and we believe that blinko will allow everyone to create their own private social network to stay in touch with their 20 favourites."

Friendplay Launches Mobile-enabled Social Network

Friendplay has announced the global launch of its mobile-enabled social networking service, Friendplay.com. The service encompasses many Web 2.0 features, including blogging, forum posting, a ‘Friends Referral’ Program, group creation, live chat, and photo and video sharing. Friendplay.com is also fusing its social networking services into a mobile Instant Messaging (IM) service called Friendplay IM (im.friendplay.com) and conventional WAP & mobile web at: www.friendplay.com.
The service also enables users to manage access levels to uploaded personal information, photos, videos and other content. Privacy settings can be applied for individual photo albums, limiting access to specified users.
Friendplay.com mobile enables users to stay connected on the move, using any Internet-ready mobile phone. Friendplay also has a Friend Finder engine to get more accurate match/friend results based on search criteria, and sends out the Match List to members via mobile.

Bebo Open Mobile Drives Traffic

Bebo has revealed that its January mobile page views grew by 44% and text messaging traffic grew by 13% month-on-month following the launch of Bebo Open Mobile. The growth in page views has been seen across both Core Partners and Standard Partners of the Bebo Open Mobile program.
On February 2 this year, Bebo announced O2 UK as its first Core Bebo Open Mobile partner and reported over a 60% monthly increase in Bebo page views on its network in December 2008. On February 25, 2009, Bebo announced the extension of the Bebo Open Mobile program to all major operators in Canada, including Fido, Rogers Wireless and Virgin Mobile Canada and announced that Canadian traffic to the Bebo website grew by 43% in January as a result.
Bebo Open Mobile is a global program for mobile operators, handset manufacturers and mobile software developers. The initiative offers a suite of tools to support the delivery of the Bebo social networking experience to mobile users, and, says Bebo, it has achieved considerable industry adoption.
“This growth is a positive early indicator that we’re delivering our users and Bebo Open Mobile Partners a compelling mobile experience,” says Bebo’s Global Head of Mobile, Sean Kane. “Mobile social networking is a fast-moving market and empowering our partners to innovate in a flexible and mutually beneficial way helps us all win.”
Bebo Open Mobile packages the company's mobile services into a single integrated program for mobile industry partners. It offers members access to Bebo’s global user base and the tools to deliver the Bebo mobile social networking experience over mobile networks, on devices and through rich media.
To date, Bebo has announced the availability of Bebo Open Mobile tools for  mobile Internet, mobile messaging and mobile applications. Bebo Open Mobile Internet enables  partners to rapidly deploy features on the Bebo mobile site, including customised navigation, mobile advertising support and enhanced statistics. The Bebo Open Mobile Messaging toolkit provides scalable and feature-rich two-way messaging directly to Bebo Open Mobile Partners through the messaging interfaces most commonly used by Bebo members. The Bebo Open Mobile development API toolkit enables Bebo Open Mobile Partners to create innovative applications, widgets and other interfaces to directly serve the Bebo community.
Bebo says it expects to make further announcements regarding Bebo Open Mobile partners and initiatives throughout 2009.

Wadja Powers Twe2 Twitter Alerts

Wadja.com, the mobile web, media and messaging service, has announced that it will power free Twitter SMS alerts from Twe2, the international Twitter SMS service. Last year, free text message updates from Twitter were stopped in the UK – but this new partnership between Wadja and Twe2 sees the service reinstated.
Wadja.com has made its new application programming interface (API), which includes its text messaging (SMS) services, available to Twe2 to allow users to interact with other Twitter users for free through this medium. UK traffic to Twitter rose by almost 1,000% in the last year and is now in the top 100 websites in the UK.
The new service offers free Direct Message and @Reply alerts by SMS to Twitter users both in the UK and worldwide. It will also include Wadja’s MessageAds contextual ad platform for SMS messages, which launched in December last year.
“This partnership marks a shift in the way many social media platforms do business,” says Wadjacom Managing Director, Alex Christoforou. “We believe in open and transparent content sharing as part of creating a financially-viable social network. Making our API available to Twe2 is an opportunity to expand the profit potential of both Wadja and Twe2, while offering a free service to Twitter users. Many other social networks fall short of leveraging such opportunities because of their content sharing restrictions.”
The API service from Wadja enables other platforms, like Twe2, to access its SMS capabilities and offer them to their audience. Services available  include free SMS messaging, which enables any member of Wadja to send free individual text messages to their friends. Using the new API, other websites can offer this service. It also includes SMS Plus bulk messaging, which offers cut-price text messages sent simultaneously to large groups. By offering this service through its API, Wadja says it has expanded its potential as a marketing tool.

Pelephone Selects Emoze

Israeli mobile network Pelephone has chosen Emoze to provide mobile email and social network messaging to its 2.4 million active users.
Pelephone subscribers will be able to read and reply to email and Facebook messages, check their calendar and keep their contacts intact on whichever mobile device they choose. Pelephone will make Emoze available on a wide variety of mobile devices from standard Java-enabled handsets to Smartphones.
The Emoze embedded client will enable all Pelephone users to get their emails, contacts, calendar and social messaging on their mobile device in real-time and fully synchronized with their PC or laptop. Users will be able to access business and personal email accounts via the Emoze client.
“Pelephone has joined the messaging innovators by extending Emoze to its millions of customers, ensuring that communication on-the-go is always a great user experience,” says Emoze CEO, Eitan Linker.

Flirtomatic Deploys Social Links

Online and mobile social networking and flirting service Flirtomatic has deployed Xtract’s ‘Social Links’ social intelligence service to deliver improved customer insight for. Social Links analyses the social networking influence and behaviour patterns of members. Flirtomatic will apply this intelligence to create more compelling services for each customer segment, and targeted, relevant and personal marketing and promotions, via web and mobile.
Social Links provides Flirtomatic with a dashboard-style view, containing 3D profiles of its members. The 3D profiles comprise basic demographic data, behavioural data and social networking influence information. Influential community members can be targeted with campaigns, resulting in viral take-up throughout the community via word-of-mouth marketing. This approach works two-fold, because influential members have both direct pull over purchasing decisions, by recommending products to their friends, as well as the indirect pull of  wanting to imitate or mimic their friends' purchases.
Having gained this new level of customer insight, Flirtomatic says it plans to expand its use of Social Links later in 2009 to build a third-party advertising revenue stream. The attraction for third-party advertisers is the strength of the community, as well as the ability to pinpoint accurately described segments and influential members with relevant ads.
“The early results from customer segmentation are very insightful and exciting,” says Flirtomatic CEO, Mark Curtis. “We can now see considerable potential, as the business scales, to directly improve our revenues through a sophisticated view of our customers, their behaviour and the pattern of their relationships. Xtract's tool hands us an effective, powerful CRM solution.”

Mobitsu Launches UGC Platform

Mobitsu has announced the launch of its service-based platform of the same name, which enables people to make money from their mobile phone by uploading user-generated content. Mobitsu members can earn up to £1 each time an item is downloaded or bought.
Members using the service can publish content on any subject matter in the form of videos, ringtones, MP3s, software, photos, games and screensavers. This content is then immediately available to the rest of the community for their entertainment, download or purchase. Mobitsu provides integrated technology that will detect which formats a mobile phone or device can support and will then convert the content on the fly to accommodate the delivery. 
The concept offers some unrivalled benefits, says Mobitsu. The company believes it will play an important role in the launch of unsigned artistes and bands, as the service is not only able to provide exposure but also the ability to make money from their work.
Signing up to the service is free and anyone can preview all downloadable videos, graphics, ringtones and audio on the website, as well as view member profiles and photos.
There are currently 16 different categories on the site, including Unsigned Artistes, Games, Hobbies, Sports & Recreation, Music, Movies and TV, as well as categories covering Love and Romance. 
Members can download or buy all media uploaded by other members, and use the site’s other features, including chat rooms and forums. Members can also message and text each other. SMS messages are sent through Mobitsu in order to protect the recipient's mobile number.

BuzzCity Launches myGamma Developer Platform

BuzzCity has launched its myGamma Developer Platform, opening its API to third party developers to integrate their applications with its mobile social networking service, myGamma. myGamma now has 3.2 million members and provides users with various resident applications, including chatting, blogging and photo-sharing tools.
The myGamma Developer Platform allows developers to create social networking applications that leverage the growing popularity of the mobile Internet, providing developers with seamless integration with myGamma and direct access to members.
“Our users certainly want to do more with their mobiles and this will mean more applications,” says BuzzCity CEO, KF Lai. “Our recent surveys clearly show users wanting to communicate, exchange and transact. By providing this platform, developers get direct access to our members and create better opportunities to generate revenues.”
BuzzCity says it expects to see yet more engaging and useful applications developed as a result of the launch of the platform. It says that insights into user activity suggest that utility applications like job alerts or cheap fare alerts will prove just as popular as fun activities such as virtual snowballs and water-bombs. BuzzCity also expects more advertisers to use the Developer Platform to deploy applications as an alternate means of reaching mobile Internet users.
“We're seeing a tectonic shift in business models, as social networks make the move from meeting place to marketplace,” observes Peggy Anne Salz, Founder and Chief Analyst of MSearchGroove, a knowledge resource that provides analysis and commentary on mobile search, advertising and social media. “The end-game is about more than simply allowing users to stay connected via mobile communities; the ultimate winners will be companies such as BuzzCity that successfully provide developers with a complete platform to create, distribute, promote and monetize their apps and content.”

Genaker Unveils Genaker2200 Software Suite

Genaker, which develops SIP-based applications, has announced the launch of its Mobile Rich Communication Suite (RCS) of software, Genaker2200. The software allows any Java-based device to be used with a new generation of new communication services, including buddy-lists, Instant Messaging (IM), and the ability to start multi-media calls from any phone.
Genaker says that its software is a standard SIP/IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) client that provides the user with an interface that has all the basic Java functionality of a high-end device. genaker2200 allows service providers to increase their target user base, expanding beyond Smartphone users to target users of low-cost phones, including pre-paid customers.
genaker2200 also introduces the company’s new ‘Content Buddies’ concept. Content buddies are advanced IMS applications that connect the mobile and the web worlds, bringing social network interaction and web content to the rich communication clients. Genaker says that these buddies, that can be available to any devices connected to the IMS cloud, open a new spectrum of micro-subscription services to service providers.
According to ABI Research Senior Analyst Nadine Manjaro “RCS will enable interoperable rich communication regardless of device or network and will include in-call multimedia sharing, conversational messaging and presence-enhanced contact management for mobile and fixed customers.”

MWC: Social Call

Our last meeting of the day was with INQ Mobile, the Hutchison-Whampoa-owned handset maker that released its first, and so far only, handset, the ‘Social Mobile’ in the UK in November, describing it at the time as: “the world’s most advanced social networking mobile phone.”
As regular readers will know, we don’t spend a massive amount of time covering handsets – we figure there are enough gadget sites to do that - but I was interested to know what makes a social networking phone a social networking phone, and INQ Marketing & Strategy Director Jeff Taylor was on hand to explain.
There’s more to the phone, in fact, than meets the eye. Taylor told me that the device nothing less than an attempt to help mobile networks move the majority of their users onto data plans.
“The operators have pretty much failed to sell the mobile Internet,” Taylor told me. “So rather than loading more and more features onto high-end devices, we set out to launch an affordable one that makes it easy for regular people to use the mobile web.”
At £79, or free on a £15 per month contract with 3 in the UK, the phone is certainly affordable. But what is it about the phone that makes it easier to use the web?
“The key barrier to uptake is that the customer has to learn new behaviours,” says Taylor. “So we have built the mobile web into the places the customer goes.”
This breaks down into three areas: the address book, the inbox, and the idle screen.
The address book lists all the user’s contacts, and against each, he can see whether they are on Facebook, Instant Messenger or other communications services. If the contact in question is on Facebook, the user can get straight to their Facebook page with one click, without the need to launch an application. If the friend calls, the phone will automatically retrieve his Facebook photo and assign it to his contact entry.
There’s one inbox for everything, including emails, texts, Facebook updates and IM messages. Each has its own folder, but the user can see everything at the top level.
The idle screen has several widgets, updating things such as the weather and Facebook status updates every 20 minutes or so. Thanks to a traffic management system, says Taylor, the phone does not pull down large amounts of data to do this.
After the UK launch, the phone was rolled out in Australia and Ireland, with Hong Kong and Italy next on the list. Other devices are also planned, and Taylor says the company is offering the handset to non-Hutchison networks. Most tellingly, he says, INQ is seeing “incredibly high activation” of the data service among users.
What I liked about the phone was the thought process that’s gone into the design and, in particular, the user interface. It reminds me of a story I heard about someone being asked if they ever used the mobile web and replying that they didn’t. When questioned further, it transpired that they went on the operator’s portal several times every weekend to check the football scores, they just didn’t realise that was the mobile web.
The more seamless, transparent and idiot-proof the networks can handset-makers can make the process of accessing data online from your phone, the more people will do it, to the benefit of everyone in the mobile marketing value chain. Who knows, Taylor and his colleagues at INQ might just achieve their aim of moving the majority of users on to data plans, no matter how unlikely that might seem.

MWC: Fun Text Launches Facebook-to-mobile MMS App

Mobile messaging service provider Fun Text has unveiled a solution that lets users send content from within Facebook to mobiles via MMS. The solution also gives operators a branded presence on Facebook and other social networks.
The service provides a branded application, with a range of animations, videos, ecards emoticons, virtual gifts to pokes that can be sent Facebook-to-mobile as well as Facebook-to-Facebook.
Fun Text notes that currently, mobile networks are largely an access portal to browse Facebook from mobiles or to send photos from mobiles to Facebook. It says its solution opens up the other direction of sending from Facebook to mobiles and creating a branded presence for the operator within the Facebook platform. The rich-media nature of Facebook is based around sharing images and graphics and so an MMS-based application has far more appeal than sending SMS, the company says.
“We recently worked with a client who, in one month, acquired hundreds of thousands of Facebook users sending several million messages to mobile and to other Facebook users,” says Fun Text Business Development Director, James Pycock. “The return on investment from a limited marketing spend was exceptional and key brand values were also enhanced by the application”.
The solution can offer free as well as billed messaging, and the web application is unified with the mobile messaging applications that Fun Text currently provides for operators. Fun Text delivers MMS content messaging for Sprint, T-Mobile and 3, and offers direct interfaces to MMSCs and SMSCs. It provides integrated access across clients (Java, Symbian and Brew) as well as WAP and web store fronts. The service is offered from the messaging menu of many handsets and displays managed galleries of online professional content for fun, social and emotional messaging.

O2 Becomes Bebo's First UK Open Mobile Partner

Social media network Bebo has revealed that O2 has become the first UK operator to receive Bebo Open Mobile Partner status. Launched last week, Bebo Open Mobile is a global partnership program for mobile operators, handset manufacturers and mobile software developers. The initiative offers Partners a suite of tools to support the delivery of the Bebo social networking experience to mobile users.
As a Bebo Open Mobile Partner, O2 will become the first UK operator to benefit from access to the program’s mobile Internet, messaging and media technologies. O2 will collaborate with Bebo to offer exclusive mobile content to its users, as afforded by its Bebo Open Mobile Partner status.  
Specifically, O2 and Bebo are today announcing the deployment of two services. Bebo Open Mobile Internet: O2 and Bebo have launched an O2 version of the Bebo mobile platform with O2 Active navigation, support for mobile advertising and a range of customised O2 features
Bebo Open Mobile Messaging: O2 is the first operator to deploy the Bebo Open Mobile Messaging tools. O2 customers can immediately receive Bebo alerts and updates on their mobile phones through the 62326 (MBEBO) Shortcode. Additionally, O2 customers can update their Bebo profiles, add photos to their gallery, participate in special offers and interact with friends through the Shortcode.
The two companies soft launched the O2 version of the Bebo mobile platform in late December. They report that the site has experienced over 60% growth in traffic in just four weeks.
“We know how important social networks are to our customers, and have seen huge traffic growth to Bebo and other social networking sites over our portal,” says O2 Head of Content at O2, Antony Douglas. “Becoming a Bebo Open Mobile Partner will further enhance the experience for our customers.”

Itsmy.com Rolls Out New Services

Mobile social network itsmy.com (http://m.itsmy.com on your mobile), has introduced a raft of new services for its 2.5 million users. The services described by itsmy.com as: “social games, location based broadcasting and open personal pages", are optimized for over 3.500 mobile phone models and browsers, and are mobile web-based, so do not require any application downloads.
Itsmy.com says that mobile browser-based social games are the new revenue generators for the mobile business witha clear added value for the customer: have fun while playing games wherever you are and meet new people in a very entertaining and easy way. Playing mobile games like ‘Snowball Fight’ or ‘Hide and Seek’ is free, but users can pay for extra features, such as a snowball shield or invisibility feature.
The location-based broadcasting feature enables users to show their friends the hottest spots, greatest shops and best pubs in a chosen city by uploading a picture or video to their personal mobile site. For all phones without GPS on board, the user’s location or preferred place can be updated manually pictures and videos can be tagged with the user’s  comments.
Open personal pages allow users to add unlimited features to their mobile homepage, including the ability to call or text friends with a single click. Users can also read the latest updates from their friends, add RSS news feeds, set location alerts and add links to favourite mobile services.
“Location-based services are really cool features for our users, but we don’t see LBS as a stand-alone business case,” says itsmy.com CEO, Antonio Vince Staybl. “Even more, location as a new parameter will help (in) boosting almost every mobile service in the future from search over content to communication”.
Itsmy.com will be showcasing the new services in Hall 7, stand A48 at Mobile World Congress 2009 in Barcelona next week.

You Want Video? Get Veedio

Cystelcom Sistemas, which supplies 3G mobile video solutions, has announced the launch of Veedio, a mobile social networking platform for 3G mobile operators that integrates with social networking and video sharing functionality via video calling. The platform enables operators to offer subscribers seamless interaction with their social networks via any 3G device. With Veedio, the company says, operators can easily deploy valued-added 3G-to-web video services such as instant video uploading to websites, and the creation of private video chat rooms.
Cystelcom notes that social networking communities and video-sharing sites have taken the world by storm and have changed the way people communicate and share information. Social networks have become some of the most heavily used websites in the world, and their popularity can be attributed to the easy-to-use communication experience these sites provide, and the fact that social networks are the number one platform for creating and sharing content.
But, says Cystelcom CTO David Ramirez:
“Currently mobile-to-web video services in social networking are somewhat limited and don’t always work well. While some sites support mobile services like uploading multimedia, most of these services are restricted to specific phone brands and models, and usually require you to install software and follow a series of steps to upload video, or tend to have problems related to mobile browsers.”
Cystelcom says that Veedio improves the mobile social networking communication experience by adding more functionality to social networks. By bridging communication between mobile users and web users, Veedio seamlessly integrates any 3G device with personal networks, giving mobile users live bidirectional, mobile-to-web communication.
“This means mobile users can instantly record, upload and share video in real time directly from their 3G phone to their social networking sites without having to use cumbersome methods,” says Ramirez.
Users can also can create private multi-party video chat rooms and invite their friends whether they are on a PC or a mobile. These rooms enable up to six people to chat simultaneously via bi-directional video calling between web users and 3G devices. Users simply invite friends to participate and they automatically receive notification via SMS or email with instructions on how to enter the room.
Veedio also supports additional revenue-generating services, with risk-sharing business models such as ad-supported free content and location-enabled services.

Bebo Launches Bebo Open Mobile

Bebo has announced the launch of Bebo Open Mobile, a new global partnership program which will offer the mobile industry a suite of tools to provide their customers with access to the Bebo social networking experience. Through the Bebo Open Mobile programme, Bebo will work with operators, handset manufacturers and mobile software developers to help them promote, distribute and monetize mobile social media.
Bebo Open Mobile partners will benefit from access to Bebo’s over 50 million-strong user base and will collaborate with the social network on tailored content and social networking experiences.
Bebo Open Mobile packages the company’s mobile services into a single integrated program for mobile industry partners. It offers members the tools to deliver the Bebo mobile social networking experience over mobile networks, on devices and through rich media.
There are three elements to at launch. 
Bebo Open Mobile Internet offers partners the ability to rapidly deploy features on the Bebo mobile site, including customized navigation, mobile advertising support and enhanced statistics. Bebo Open Mobile Messaging is a toolkit that provides scalable and feature rich two-way messaging directly to Bebo Open Mobile partners through the messaging interfaces most used by Bebo members. Finally, the Bebo Open Mobile Development API toolkit empowers Bebo Open Mobile partners to create innovative applications, widgets and other interfaces to directly serve the Bebo community.  
“Bebo Open Mobile is a new way to expand the power of social networking to program members,” says Sean Kane, Global Head of Mobile at Bebo. The Bebo Open Mobile suite of tools is designed to move mobile communication and user relationships forward by delivering a simple and more ubiquitous experience to users. A rapid and global shift towards mobile social networking consumption is in progress and Bebo is committed to leading the way.”
Bebo says it expects to make further announcements regarding Bebo Open Mobile partners and initiatives throughout 2009.

IRL and GeoMe Fuse Mobile and Web-based Social Networking

In Real Life (IRL), which claims to be  the only presence-based social networking company that adds presence to social networks and social media, and GeoMe, a mobile service that allows users to explore, share and connect via messages on a map, have announced  the creation of a central platform for location-based social networking services on both mobile phones and the web. IRL says this is the first time a web-based social network has partnered with a mobile, location-based social network, providing full access privileges across the two communities of users.
The partnership extends the services of the IRL Connect web-based social networking platform to the mobile, and brings GeoMe's expertise in delivering location-based solutions on mobile to the web. The combined platform features a social network toggle that allows IRL Connect and GeoMe members to seamlessly cross between communities. The companies say that both services bring the best of the mobile and web worlds to users, for an optimal social networking experience where they can access and exchange information and find friends online with the minimum of effort, rather than the walled garden format of many of today's mobile social networking services.
IRL Connect and GeoMe work with OpenSocial to exchange data between the mobile and the web. Users will have only one login to view their messages on both platforms. Furthermore, IRL Connect will be branded to fit the GeoMe brand and create access to the IRL Connect platform through Geo-Me.com.
“Many competitors have their main focus on the mobile and then try to extend their service to the web by themselves, creating a web solution that is half-baked,” says IRL CEO, Frank Schuil. “By allowing aggregation with external parties, such as GeoMe, it is easier to grow our user base and give IRL Connect users the opportunity to explore the world of mobile social networking using the GeoMe platform. IRL Connect and GeoMe bring their own strengths in developing this central platform so that we can deliver the best experience and the best of both worlds to our users.”
GeoMe is launching its public beta in February. IRL Connect members will be able to access the GeoMe service on mobile and on the web in Q2 2009.

US Launch for Flirtomatic

Mobile and online flirting service Flirtomatic is launching a mobile beta in the US. Flirtomatic already has good traction in the US through its web portal and says that launching a mobile version was the obvious next step. It will initially launch in beta on mobile, supported by the web and iPhone platforms.
Flirtomatic CEO Mark Curtis,  says he is certain that there is a demand in the US that Flirtomatic can meet.
“It's a difficult time in the market, but we're optimistic that we can enter the US successfully,” he says. “It will not be easy, but if we can replicate some of the success we've had in the UK and Germany, generating revenues within six months, we will have taken a major step towards achieving our goals. We are confident that our new mobile users in the US will enjoy the service as much as our existing 1.3 million users, and provide us with fantastic feedback on how we can improve.”

Push is the Key to Mobile Social Networking, says Colibria

A study carried out by research firm YouGov on behalf of mobile messaging and social networking firm  Colibria has revealed that mobile users want social networking services pushed straight to their mobile, making the experience more interactive and allowing them to communicate with all of their social networks from one single access point. The survey of 1,995 online respondents in Great Britain found that 39% of 18-45 year olds believe that if updates were pushed directly to their device, it would greatly improve their experience of social networks via mobile.
Assessing social networking usage across consumers in the UK, the survey highlighted key differentiators that subscribers feel are needed to make these services for mobile accessible. Currently, of those who do already access their social networks via their phone, 65% prefer to do it through a device’s Internet browser, while 28% use a dedicated application. The interactivity limitations of browser-based access may explain why 43% of users only describe their experience as average, with a further 20% rating access as poor or very poor.
Additional key findings have highlighted that there are a number of potential challenges facing mobile operators looking to deploy social networking solutions:

• Almost one third (31%) said that messages are what they would most like to receive on their mobile when checking their social networks
• Single log-in access across multiple social networks is the most popular option for improving the experience via mobile (14%)
• Only 16% of those asked used social networks excluding MySpace and Facebook
• 78% use the Instant Messaging functionality available on their respective social networking sites

As the popularity of social networking services continues to grow, operators looking to tap into potential new revenue streams will be interested to hear that currently only 21% of 18-45 year olds signed up with a fixed social network access their service over their mobile, meaning that there is a huge untapped market for operators to target. With recent predictions from Informa stating that global revenues from mobile social networking will be between $29 billion (£21.2 billion) and $52 billion by 2012, mobile social networking appears set to grow in 2009.
‘‘This survey shows that mobile users want to be able to enjoy a seamless, consistent, rich experience across all of their social networks on the mobile,” says Colibria CTO, Lars Kristian Roland. “Put simply, a truly interactive experience is required from operators for the mass adoption of social networking on mobile to become a reality and mirror the success of the fixed world.’’

Forum Discusses Mobile Social Networking

Six Degrees Events is staging the 'Mobile Social Networking Forum' in London from 9 - 10 March. The event features speakers drawn from mobile operators, handset manufacturers and mobile social networks.  Operators will share mobile social networking success stories, and discuss how they plan to benefit from the growing interest in mobile social media.
Speakers include: Bjorn Laurin, Director of Mobile for MySpace Europe, Middle East and Africa; Sarah Evans, Head of Mobile Advertising and Social Networking at O2; Sean Kane, Head of Mobile at Bebo; Gerrit Mueller, Senior Director of Mobile Products, Connected Life forYahoo! Europe; and Mark Watts-Jones, Head of Development and Innovation for Orange UK 
“The two day conference and exhibition will provide a focused platform for the global mobile social media industry,” says event organiser Mark Johnstone. “The conference aims to address core issues such as monetization, future technologies/services, engaging social groups with brands and how businesses can get the most out of mobile social and business networks.”
The Mobile Social Networking Forum is co-located with the Social Networking World Forum, which also includes a free-to-attend combined exhibition and networking area. There is an early booking discount for the conference which ends on 31 January. You can get more details and register here.

No SOS for SMS

William Dudley, Group Director, Messaging & GRX Products at Sybase 365, argues that reports about the demise of text messaging are premature

Recently, industry media have been abuzz with headlines, blogs, and articles regarding the imminent demise of SMS due to cannibalization by Mobile Instant Messaging (MIM). Most often, they were quoting a study from TNS Global Telecoms Insight (GTI) that states that instant messaging will ultimately displace SMS (and to some extent, email) as the primary non-voice P2P communications medium for mobile phones.
While the study and its methodology are both sound, the conclusions drawn may be slightly flawed. MIM has yet to take on the viral attributes of SMS. For those who use MIM frequently – most likely within their own community of friends and associates - it may work well, and these particular users may very well use less SMS and more MIM. However, the simple fact is that until MIM and instant messaging overcome their fractured  mass of incompatible communities (e.g. AOL IM, MSN IM, Google Talk, ICQ, and of course the GSMA's Personal Instant Messaging [PIM]), they will not have the same mass global appeal that SMS has enjoyed for the past few years.

Solid growth
In the United States, SMS continues its solid traffic growth, with a doubling of traffic volumes from first quarter 2007 through first quarter 2008. M:Metrics reports that SMS subscriber usage in the US has reached approximately 50% penetration. In Western Europe, subscriber usage ranges from the high 70s to mid 80%. MIM usage rates, on the other hand, are still quite low, averaging less than 5% of the Western European subscriber population, with a better showing at 8% of the US subscriber population. Drilling down even further, one can find that MIM usage among surveyed subscribers is even lower for operators purported to have launched the GSMA's PIM, with the highest service usage usually MSN's instant messaging service.
Still, according to the M:Metrics data, when looking at the growth of the US subscriber population using MIM at least once per month over a one year period, we see a growth rate of 21%, while over the same time period, SMS grew 23% to almost 50% of the subscriber population using it at least once per month. Given the substantially larger base of SMS users, the 23% growth rate is essentially non-comparable to the 21% growth of MIM use with regards to the numbers it represents.
Additionally, accounting for a doubling of volume, while the number of subscribers that use SMS only grew 23%, it is evident that the frequent SMS users are sending even more messages. While several other countries have even stronger MIM usage among subscribers  - China, for example, grew to 11% of their subscribers using MIM in February 2008 - this does not show signs of the viral growth patterns that SMS has demonstrated previously, and still does in many markets. Consequently, any talk about the demise of SMS as a simple, non-voice medium is speculative at best, and misleading at worst.

Universal access
SMS provides a level of ubiquity that MIM will struggle to achieve. While Internet access from mobile phones is not yet universal (but is becoming more so with the greater prevalence of 3G networks), one would assume that this does in fact, bode well for MIM, and badly for SMS. Indeed, the TNS GTI press release states:
“The cost of instant messaging is next to nothing, as the only cost is a very small data transfer fee. With consumers being accustomed to instant messaging from their PC from companies like Yahoo and Microsoft, and more mobile operators offering unlimited use of web browsers, the take up of MIM is going to increase significantly - leaving SMS and fixed email from PC behind.”
And indeed, if one takes a look at some of the 3G-only operators, such as Hutchison-Whampoa in the UK, M:Metrics shows the MIM usage as 11.4% - one of the highest in Western Europe, which appears to support TNS's conclusion that SMS and email are left behind as MIM increases. Equally, however, we see that Hutchinson-Whampoa's SMS usage by subscribers is also amongst the highest in Western Europe - as are its usage of email, MMS and other Internet-driven services. This tells us that the 3G-only network subscribers are heavy users of both Internet and traditional mobile messaging services. While the Hutchinson case is only one operator example, this type of higher MIM usage shows that the reality is such that even where MIM is well-used among subscribers, it still has not, and will not, cannibalize SMS traffic anytime soon.
Finally, as we look to the future, we are already seeing IM-like features creeping into the SMS ecosystem, combining some of the desirable features of IM, such as presence and threaded messages, with the ubiquity, reach, and simplicity of SMS, and further discrediting the notion that MIM will displace SMS any time soon.

BuzzCity Sees Mobile Ad Growth

BuzzCity, which provides global wireless communities and consumer services, has released the BuzzCity Mobile Advertising Index for Q4 2008. The report documents the growth of mobile Internet advertising and represents inventory sold across the BuzzCity Mobile Advertising Network. The report also tracks, by extension, the growth of off-portal mobile Internet use, in more than 200 countries around the world. 
In the fourth quarter of 2008, just over 7.5 billion advertiser banners were delivered across the entire network, representing a quarterly growth of 40%, a slight increase from the previous quarter’s growth of 38%. Banners are delivered to more than 2,000 publisher sites, including BuzzCity-owned mobile community service, myGamma.
Leading the way by some distance was Indonesia, with 3.6 billion banners served, 100% up on the previous quarter and representing almost half the total number of banners served. In second place was India with 727 million, 10% up on Q3, while S. Africa came in third on 465 million banners, despite this figure being 14% down on Q3. The US was in fourth place on 352 million, 47% up on Q3, while the UK came in 14th with 26.7 million, a 255% year-on-year increase on the Q4 2007 figure of 7.5 million.
“The Q4 results are significant in light of the current economic situation,” says BuzzCity, CEO, KF Lai. “We are clearly seeing more advertising on mobiles, and expect to see further growth in 2009 as advertisers focus more on accountability in their campaign execution. Even the apparent shrinkage of advertising inventory in South Africa has a silver lining to it: publishers providing greater value and transparency for consumers will sustain demand as they continue to monetise their content in this market.”
While the Top 10 performers contributed 80% of the traffic, the network continued to grow beyond these markets; by the end of December 2008, 28 markets exceeded 10 million banners per month, compared to 23 in Q3. Year-on-year the network grew by some 300% and BuzzCity says that growth is expected to continue. BuzzCity is also planning a new office in Johannesburg, to oversee the growing advertiser demand in South Africa.

Kiboo Celebrates BuddyMob Success

Mobile community developer Kiboo has revealed that its geo-localised social network and micro-blogging mobile application Buddymob has reached the top 5 on the Android Market in the social category.
Within hours of the launch of BuddyMob as a private beta test on 1 December 2008, says Kiboo,. BuddyMob had exceeded its 1,000 download target and after three days, the application had to be removed from the Android Market due to over-subscription. To date, the BuddyMob beta trial has experienced over 10,000 download requests and currently has more than 5,118 active community members. The average session time users have been spending on BuddyMob is high at 3 hours.
BuddyMob is the latest in a series of applications for mobile devices made by Kiboo. Acting as a social network and instant messenger (IM) integrator, BuddyMob allows users to post a range of text and geo-tagged multimedia content to their live feed; simultaneously cross-post to all their favourite social sites; keep up to date with friends’ live feeds from other social networks such as Twitter; chat to friends using the complete integration with IM applications such as MSN and GoogleTalk; find out where friends are and what they are doing using GoogleMaps; and receive location alerts when friends are close.
Available on Android enabled phones, BuddyMob currently integrates with Twitter, MSN, GoogleTalk and Jabber. In response to the more than 700 member feedback comments Kiboo has received from users, the company is currently working on integrating other IM services and many more social networks such as AIM, ahead of commercial deployment.
Free to use, BuddyMob will be ad-funded, using a combination of location-based advertising and ads served according to a user’s profile, ensuring relevancy, higher clickthrough and therefore better revenue generation. BuddyMob ‘buddies’ can choose whether to can be located or contacted via the application, protecting them from unwanted tracking and respecting privacy issues.
“Our research has shown that around 60% of consumers are members of more than one social network,” says Kiboo CEO, Christophe Hocquet. “The service that BuddyMob provides, integrating all social network feeds and creating a new way to be constantly connected to friends, meets this trend head on.
“Android’s open system has opened up a wealth of opportunities for developers, allowing us to create a completely new offering that enables constant connection between friends,’ Hocquet continued. The combination of positioning with content sharing and chat on a single mobile application creates a whole new communication medium. Add to this the ability to stay up to date with friends’ updates whichever network they’re using and BuddyMob is able to deliver friends at your fingertips.”
You can sign up for the beta test of BuddyMob and see an online demo here

Nimbuzz Signs Spice Deal

Mobile instant messaging (IM), (geo) presence and VoIP provider Nimbuzz has signed a distribution deal with Spice Mobile, which specialises in innovative handsets in India. New Spice Mobile handsets will have the Nimbuzz application pre-installed for users to chat, message and send files on the go. In addition, Spice Mobile becomes a major distribution partner as part of Nimbuzz’s global Manufacturer Affiliate Program. New Java and Windows Mobile handsets are rolling out to the Indian market now via Spice Mobile’s 25,000 retail outlets, with the full Nimbuzz communication portfolio installed.
The addition of Nimbuzz will be announced to Spice Mobile customers by a multi-territory marketing campaign, including Nimbuzz logos, links and service description on the Spice Mobile website, POS promotions, and links to Nimbuzz on its WAP Portal.
“We are growing at a record pace, adding around 20,000 new users per day,” says Nimbuzz CEO,  Evert-Jaap Lugt. Our community appeals to handset manufacturers, as they benefit from global and local IM and social network community integration and a comprehensive feature set, at a substantially accelerated speed to market, and without incurring additional overhead costs. This deal ensures significant market penetration for Nimbuzz across the APAC territories and we will be working closely with Spice Mobile to encourage future shipment of new handsets.”
In addition to India, pre-installed Spice Mobile devices will be sold in other APAC territories. Customers will be able to communicate with the growing community of Nimbuzz subscribers in over 200 countries, using Nimbuzz for features such as social networking, IM, location and file sharing. Gartner expects India’s mobile user base of around 300 million to reach 737 million by 2012. Price Waterhouse Coopers reports that the Indian mobile VAS market will reach $2 billion by the end of 2008 and expects it to account for 18% of operator revenue by 2010.
“With soaring mobile usage and penetration, the Indian VAS market is witnessing remarkable growth,” says Spice Mobile CEO, Kunal Ahooja. “As the mobile handset is increasingly becoming the device of choice when it comes to accessing a multitude of applications and VAS, our innovations and offerings, bundled with our phones, support our mission to provide consumers with a more engaging and fulfilling experience. We turn to leading technology providers such as Nimbuzz to add the best value services, such as instant messaging and social networking, to our devices."

itsmy.com Supports Car Industry with 100 Million Free Impressions

Mobile social network it'smy.com is supporting the embattled US automotive industry with 100 million free of mobile web page impressions for brand advertising with banners. The social campaign will be displayed between January and March 2009 on the mobile web for customers of all carriers in the US.
A survey conducted among more than 1,000 itsmy.com users earlier this month revealed that 81% would love to support the automotive industry. itsmy.com says that many of its community members from US cities such as Detroit that are now suffering the impact of the economic crisis like the idea of supporting people and companies in the US car industry with car advertising on their personal mobile homepage.
it’smy.com notes, too, that carmakers have been among the best mobile advertisers on its site in the past. This is why the company has decided to support the industry by giving away 100 million mobile page impressions for a symbolic total payment of $1.
All that carmakers or their marketing or media agencies have to do is to send an email to the itsmy.com team at: [email protected] then send the mobile creative and fill out the purchase order for $1. The inventory offered will be split among all applicants.
“It is our heart’s desire to care for the people who are part of the community by supporting their employers and on the other hand to support our advertising partners who believed in mobile advertising first,” says itsmy.com CEO, Antonio Vince Staybl.

BuzzCity Offers Regional Targeting

BuzzCity, which provides global wireless communities and consumer services, has launched regional targeting functionality for advertisers in India. Advertisers can choose to target campaigns to four separate regions, centred around the four major cities, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata. 
BuzzCity’s myGamma mobile social network is available in 80 countries across the globe and has over 3 million users, of which over 1.5million reside in less economically developed and newly industrialised countries. 
BuzzCity is able to obtain a user’s IP address and mobile phone number when they sign in to the myGamma community. User demographics are requested as part of the registration process and an algorithm is applied to deduce where the user is located. This information is then used across the entire advertising network, including third party publishers on the network.
“The ability to target consumers has long been a dream for many brands,” says BuzzCity CEO, KF Lai. “Targeted advertising provides benefits for both advertisers and consumers, both of whom gain from enhanced relevance of a campaign. We believe this…offering will appeal to many brands who have sought to gain more traction with their customers and provide relevant information to users in different regions.”

Wadja Launches MessageAds Platform

Wadja.com has announced the launch of MessageAds, a new service that links advertising with the content and themes of text or email messages sent by its members.
The new system works by identifying keywords within messages and then attaching ads relevant to that content in the messages sent. MessageAds functions like a standard web contextual advertisement platform for SMS messages. Brands can identify keywords and then match these to the senders’ user profile characteristics. Where content and profile are both relevant to the brand, the brand’s advertising will then appear at the bottom of the text or email messages sent through Wadja. As the MessageAd is embedded within a message between friends, says Wadja, this heightens the likelihood that it will be acted upon.
In a typical usage scenario, one user would send a text message to another confirming a breakfast meeting the next day. The keywords of the message and details of the two users profiles match the ad profile of a global coffee company. As a result, a MessageAd of up to 40 words is embedded at the bottom of the text message, inviting them to enjoy a free muffin when they shop at a branch of the coffee company.
“MessageAds gives brands the ability to target their audience more accurately and deliver advertising (that is) more relevant to their customers,” says Wadja Managing Director, Alex Christoforou. “We are confident that this is a revenue stream for us that will also be a positive enhancement for our members. From their perspective, these adverts are relevant and are unobtrusive, so they provide a service, rather than a distraction.”
Wadja is offering companies the chance to trial the MessageAds service for free. To find out more, send an email to: [email protected]

Make Mine a Mobile

Mobile community itsmy.com has revealed the results of a survey conducted among 15,000 of its active users worldwide, which it says reveals astonishing details about mobile social networking usage in the US and Europe.
The survey asked participants about how they communicate with their closest friends and family, and about their mobile and PC usage. They were also asked how often they visit itsmy.com, what they liked to do there, and how many pages they looked at on the mobile community site.
95% of respondents in the US, and 96% in the UK, said their mobile was their main means of communication with their friends and family, while 42% of them said they  never used a PC web-based social network.
The survey also revealed that the average itsmy.com user is surfing 160 mobile Internet pages per day. Heavy users log in up to 10 times a day with an online time of up to 2.5 hours, to write and check their mail and personal messages, find out where their friends are and what they are doing, or upload the latest pictures and videos to their personal mobile site. 90% of respondents said they would use the mobile Internet even more if they could have reasonably priced flat-rate tariffs, higher network speeds and faster phones with longer battery lives.
“Almost 12% of the itsmy.com community members are still in bed when they check their personal messages for the first time,” says itsmy.com COO, Sabine Irrgang. “A mobile social networking portal is the place where you can reach and will meet people in future.”
The worldwide survey was conducted via the mobile Internet among 15,000 active itsmy.com users, aged 16 - 52 years, with all current mobile phone types and from more than 30 different operators, between September and November 2008. You can download the complete survey results here.

Colibria Simplifies Mobile Social Networking

Colibria, which provides “new generation messaging and social networking solutions” has announced the launch of a Social Network Gateway to support the growing consumer demand to be constantly connected to their social networks whilst on the move. The solution provides a simple enhancement to an existing mobile IM (Instant Messaging) client that enables the user to access the plethora of social networks from within a single application on their handset. 
Colibria notes that there are a number of mobile social networking solutions currently available, but says that many are not spontaneous, requiring the user to access a bespoke mobile website via a device browser, and only allowing the user to consume content in a very passive fashion. 
The Social Network Gateway will also integrate with a mobile phone’s contact list to provide the user with complete visibility of the ‘social communication’ of each individual within their contact list. The solution also allows mobile users to control how and when they are updated on the activity within their social network, enabling them to simply and easily update their social network by posting pictures, comment and content whilst on the move.
Colibria notes that the social networking phenomenon is forecast to continue to grow from strength to strength. Facebook passed the 100 million active user milestone in August 2008, and Informa predicts that global revenues from mobile social networking will be between $29 billion (£19 billion) and $52 billion by 2012, and that 56% of all mobile users will participate in at least two social networks. The need for an integrated solution that provides a simple, consistent user experience is, therefore, of paramount importance to the operator looking to leverage this previously untapped revenue stream, says Colibria.
"The key to the success of mobile social networking is in the provision of a seamless, consistent, rich experience for the user," says Colibria CTO, Lars Kristian Roland. "Mobile messaging currently accounts for over 80% of operator data revenues worldwide,  and mobile social networking is the obvious next step for operators looking to engender customer loyalty, provide a unique user experience and leverage new revenue streams."

Nimbuzz Adds SIP Partners

Mobile instant messaging (IM), (geo) presence and VoIP provider Nimbuzz has added 17 SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) partners to its global Operator Affiliate Program. The program brings mobile social networking, presence and IM capabilities to carriers, whilst enabling them to maintain control of their own customer relationships.    
By joining the Nimbuzz Operator Affiliate Program and integrating their VoIP offering with Nimbuzz, partners have the opportunity to provide customers with mobile communication and social networking value added services at a substantially accelerated speed to market and without incurring additional overhead costs, says Nimbuzz. Operators and SIP providers joining the Nimbuzz affiliate program will also benefit from new revenue streams and exposure to the community of Nimbuzz subscribers in over 200 countries.
Partners will promote Nimbuzz to their customers by placing permanent banners on their websites, from which customers can instantly register and download the Nimbuzz service to their mobile phone and PC.
For existing Nimbuzz users, the enhanced feature set and additional call networks will be seamlessly integrated into their mobile and PC interfaces, allowing them to use Nimbuzz for IM and cheap (international) VoIP calls to landlines and mobile phones.
“We see these partnerships providing real value to operators looking to increase ARPU and offer their customers full access to IM and social networks without the risk and costs associated with setting this up themselves,” says Nimbuzz CEO, Evert Jaap Lugt. “This is also an open call to other operators looking to join. We will be announcing new partners soon.”
Services such as Nimbuzz that use the mobile Internet are increasing the uptake in data plan sales for operators. According to Chetan Sharma Consulting, in the US, data revenues reached $8.2 billion (£5.3 billion) in Q2 2008, or about 21% of total wireless-services revenue. This compares to spending of $5.85 billion, or 17% of total services, for the same period in 2007. That data jump increased ARPU by 50 cents, comfortably offsetting a 5 cent decline in voice ARPU.
The new SIP partners operate networks worldwide and will act as session carriers for Nimbuzz users making VoIP calls to mobile phones, and landlines via their mobile or PC.

Nimbuzz Launches iPhone App

Nimbuzz, which provides mobile Instant Messaging (IM), (geo) presence and VoIP services, has launched a free iPhone application that lets users call, chat and message, for free, with their friends on virtually all major IM communities and social networks, including Skype, Yahoo! Messenger, Facebook, MySpace, AIM, Windows Live Messenger, Google Talk, ICQ and Jabber.
Nimbuzz says that application will be the first complete messaging product available with landscape mode chat, IM buddy calling (including Yahoo!), and regional social network support. Furthermore, says Nimbuzz it is the first product to offer IM buddy calling over wi-fi to Yahoo! Messenger, as well as Google Talk, Skype, and Windows Live Messenger.
Nimbuzz also supports chat for local social networks, such as StudiVZ, the biggest German speaking social network, Hyves for The Netherlands, and Gadu-Gadu in Poland.
Nimbuzz is a lifestyle application, designed to meet any communication need. The centralized contact list aggregates contacts of the most popular social and IM networks. Other key features include Personal Message, which enables users to broadcast real-time status updates to all contacts; presence information to see who is online and where; and emoticons for additional expression. Nimbuzz currently has over 10 million logins per day, and is adding over 10,000 new users per day.

Buongiorno Celebrates blinko Campaign Success

Buongiorno has revealed the results of its €500,000 (£420,000) viral advertising campaign, which ran in September and October, and was designed to stimulate interest in its new mobile social networking offering, blinko.  blinko, the first Italian social network designed for mobile phones, is nearing its launch date and can currently be tried in beta mode by clicking here.
The blinko campaign developed the concept of friendship and the desire to stay in touch digitally via mobile phone. Using the strapline: ‘Your friends are always with you’, it featured a human chain made up of over 100 extras, dressed according to what they are currently doing. This includes a chef cooking, a surfer dressed in his surf gear, a girl going to sleep with her favorite pillow, a scuba diver in his wetsuit and mask, a hostess in uniform and even a karate champion. The objective of the video is to underline the main feature of the blinko service: with status updates, you can take your friends with you wherever you go - not just when you are in front of your PC.
The campaign ran on websites and blogs chosen for their ability to influence the opinions of web surfers and that cater to the target audience. Distribution was handled by GoViral, with the objective of seeding it on up to 10,000 websites and blogs and contacting more than half a million potential blinko users in Italy and Spain.
As of 14 November, Buongiorno reports that the video had 411,101 total views, with unique visits to  www.realtimerealpeople.com totalling 3,135. 12% of these, after seeing the video on the web, requested an invitation code for blinko. Of these, 27% went on to subscribe to blinko.
“When facing the challenge of launching a mobile native social network, we wanted to generate a buzz about this new service and its name with the target audience of digital natives,” says Buongiorno Head of Marketing Communication, Lucia Predolin. “To achieve this, it made a lot of sense to think viral, and the results proved us right beyond expectations, with more than 415,000 views in key markets and  several thousands requests for the Invitation Code to use blinko and its free SMS feature. Also, and quite unexpectedly, the video spilled out its core markets of Italy and Spain achieving more than 80,000 views in English-speaking countries, confirming the global appeal of the campaign and of blinko itself.
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Trutap Upgrades Social Networking App

Trutap has announced the roll-out of the latest version of its mobile social networking application. In addition to a new design, the new version gives users live updates from all their friends, wherever they are.
Key features of the application, which anyone can download for free include a personal newsfeed; ‘Who's online’, status & location, extended profile, a searchable user directory, private messaging, email, SMS, blogging, photo-sharing and mobile IM. (Instant Messaging).
Trutap recently announced that it is partnering with leading content providers to deliver daily news and entertainment to its user base. The company says it aims to set the standard for mobile social networks. TruTap currently has 250,000 users around the world.
Trutap is targeted at mid-to-high-range mobile phones that make up 85% of the market. It has a high penetration in countries such as India and Indonesia, where the iPhone and Blackberry are still considered luxury handsets. The new version will be rolled out to over 450 mobile phones by the end of 2008 and many more early in 2009.
“The new version of Trutap raises the bar for mobile social networking,” says Trutap CEO, Doug Richard. “We're giving users real-time updates from their friends, wherever they are, and we're doing it in an application that's fast and visually stunning. We're aiming to provide our users with one of the best user experiences on a mobile social network and for many of our users who can't afford fancy phones, this new version gives them everything they need.”
You can see a video demo of the application here.

INQ Unveils the Social Mobile

INQ, a new mobile handset manufacturer backed by Hutchison Whampoa, has launched its first device, which it describes as “the world’s most advanced social networking mobile phone”. The phone, the INQ¹ (and no, that ¹ doesn’t mean there’s a footnote; it’s how the phone has been branded), will be available exclusively from 3.
The phone offers one-click access to Facebook, with live updates pushed direct to the front screen of the device. Skype, Windows Live Messenger and Last.fm are also integrated into the heart of the phone and a host of other social utilities can be customized by the user. According to INQ, this makes the device the first ever real-time interactive, ‘live contact book’ with friends’ online status and Facebook profile pictures displayed against their contact details.
The phone also offers integrated RSS feeds, free Skype-to-Skype calling and unlimited free Instant Messenger capabilities. It also allows users to directly upload pictures to their Facebook profile from its 3.2 megapixel camera. For these reasons, INQ has dubbed the phone, the ‘Social Mobile’.
The device will be available free on a contract tariff from £15 per month offering unlimited free Facebook, Skype, Windows Live Messenger and web access, plus 75 minutes of calls to other networks, unlimited texts, unlimited email and unlimited free 3-to-3 calls, subject to a fair use policy. It will also be available on a non-contract basis at £79.99 with Internet packages available from £5 per month.
“The INQ¹ is the first device from INQ with a new take on mobile user experience,” says INQ CEO, Frank Meehan. “It’s about taking the things people love most about the Internet and building them into the very heart of the phone. Mobile is still mostly about voice and text for the vast majority of users, but those same people use the Internet to communicate every day with Skype, Instant Messaging, Facebook and email. The INQ¹ allows people for the first time to integrate their Internet networks into their mobile so now their emails, instant messages and Skype calls are as simple to use as voice and text.”
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says the social networking  company is really happy
to be working with INQ to bring its customers a deeply-integrated Facebook experience on the new handset.
“More than 15 million Facebook users currently access the site through their mobile devices,” says Zuckerberg. “This number has doubled over the past six months, and we expect it to continue to grow as people become even more familiar with handsets like the INQ¹.”

Nimbuzz Announces Revenue-sharing Deal

Mobile VoIP, presence and IM provider Nimbuzz has announced its first revenue sharing partnership with a social network, formalising its push to provide online communities with real time web and mobile communication. StudiVZ, the biggest German speaking social networking site, becomes the first in a series of international networking sites to integrate the Nimbuzz technology into its community, bringing real-time web and mobile communication capabilities to members for the first time.
By integrating the Nimbuzz VoIP, presence and IM features, social networks can extend their offering beyond their current online networking experience. StudiVZ is the first partnership of this nature to be announced by Nimbuzz, with similar deals in Turkey, Asia and Italy imminent.
The Nimbuzz-powered web and mobile clients launched in unison for StudiVZ members yesterday. The web chat is fully integrated into the existing StudiVZ interface, allowing IM conversations between all community members. The full Nimbuzz portfolio, including voice calls, chat and file-sharing across popular IM communities, will also be available, and a link to a bespoke download page will be promoted across the StudiVZ network.
“Strategic distribution deals are our key targets for growth and we are pleased to announce this important social network partnership just six months after our launch,” says  Nimbuzz founder and CEO, Evert Jaap Lugt. “The ability of social networks to provide a complete day to day experience is restricted by the nature of the product being tied to the PC. But people are mobile, so by partnering, we can blend our technology with their existing communities with the resulting product benefiting and adding value to businesses and consumers alike. This deal is just the beginning for us and we will be making further social network and operator announcements in the very near future.”
StudiVZ is one of the largest European social networks, and the biggest German speaking network with over 12 million members across Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

Wadja Claims Top Spot

Wadja.com, the mobile web, media and messaging service has laid claim to the number one spot in dedicated mobile social networking. Figures from Alexa.com reveal that Wadja was the most visited dedicated European mobile social network during July, August and September 2008.
In addition, Wadja reports that its British membership numbers have risen by 600% over the past three months, having launched officially in the UK this June. Newly-launched Wadja services include Media Box, a personal online filing cabinet for multimedia files,and SMS Plus, a bulk-SMS tool to keep in touch with large groups via text.
Wadja Managing Director Alex Christoforou describes 2008 as “a watershed year for social media,” and notes:
“While social networks such as Facebook and MySpace have taken prevalence in the UK, the mobile space is still wide open. Wadja has always been built for mobile, and we are one step ahead in terms of providing a user-friendly and accessible platform for all mobile users. I think 2009 will see the UK embrace smaller independent social networks across all platforms and in the potentially lucrative mobile sphere, I’m confident Wadja can maintain its position.”

Flirtomatic Flabbergasted by Survey Response

Mobile and online flirting service Flirtomatic has announced the results of a recent mobile survey it conducted with its users. Over 5,800 users responded to the survey and 87% of them completed the 10 questions, two of which asked for free-text responses. The responses to these two free-text questions generated 170 pages of A4.
The survey showed that mobile users are becoming increasingly savvy about using their mobile phone and mobile web browser. 56% of respondents said that they use bookmarking in order to return to Flirtomatic, a figure the company says is higher than it expected.
When asked: ‘Which best describes your Internet connection at home?’ 84% of users said they usually use their phone to connect to the web. Flirtomatic CEO Mark Curtis says:
“We're stunned at the response by mobile users to a survey that needed to be filled in on a small mobile phone screen. We honestly expected maybe 500 responses, tops; but to get more than 10 times that is astonishing. The feedback and data we've received was very insightful on what our users think we're doing well and also, perhaps more importantly, what we need to improve on. We're working on these improvements and will release the first of them before the new-year.
“One thing we've seen from the results of the survey is that it's obvious that the phone is becoming more and more of a viral medium. 38% of users have already invited their friends to join Flirtomatic and a further 57% are considering it. The success of the survey suggests a number of different options we could take for the future along similar lines; it could have great potential for advertisers now that we have passed the 1 million user mark.”

Taptu Wins itsmy.com Search Brief

Global mobile community itsmy.com has chosen Taptu, an award-winning, pureplay search engine designed specifically for mobile, to provide its growing community with a search service, and access to an index of mobile-friendly web content.
The move will see itsmy.com’s mobile community of over two million users gain instant access to a variety of content via Taptu. Taptu’s strength is entertainment search; helping users find and enjoy mobile content such as videos, music and images.
Taptu aims to find the best of the web for mobile phones; serving content to mobile devices that can be easily shared among friends. itsmy.com has chosen to add Taptu’s search functionality to give its users a rich mobile search experience; they can now search for mobile Internet content from within their community and also directly from their personal mobile homepage.
In addition to core search functionality, Taptu can now offer mobile partners, like itsmy.com, mobile search sponsored links. This provides partners with a new incremental revenue stream, and gives advertisers access to high-value and young audiences
“As a pureplay mobile community (we) wanted to work with a company that really ‘gets’ mobile and understands that desktop search isn’t mobile search,” says itsmy.com CEO, Antonio Vince Staybl. “Taptu is made for mobile and we love its unique and social way to search the mobile web. That’s exactly what we were looking for in a partner and that’s why we have replaced our existing provider.”

Wadja Launches SMS API

Wadja, the mobile web, media and messaging service, has made its text messaging services available to other social websites and social networks through a new application programming interface (API). The API enables any programmer to access Wadja’s SMS capabilities and offer them to their audience. The services include free SMS messaging and SMS Plus bulk messaging. The free SMS service enables any member of Wadja to send free individual SMS messages to their friends. Using the API, other websites can offer this service. SMS Plus bulk messaging provides cut-price SMS messages sent simultaneously to large groups.
By offering this service through its API, Wadja says it has expanded its potential as a marketing tool. It adds that the API is the first of a number of service innovations it will launch this year, including a MessageAds service.
“APIs are much more than an opportunity to expand the horizons of mobile social networks like Wadja – they are a key to future revenue growth and business services,” says Wadja Managing Director, Alex Christoforou. “A lot of social networks are scared of one another and put up barriers of external communication; Wadja is different. Wadja exists as a bridge between your web spaces – for instance, you can send a MySpace message, an email and a text message all through Wadja. The API is an extension of this philosophy.”

Social Services

David Murphy talks to Refresh Mobile CEO Scott Beaumont about the company’s latest development, Mippin Social

DM: So Scott, I’m familiar with Mippin, a very clever, very useful service that creates a mobile version of any website with an RSS feed. What does Mippin Social do to move things on?

SB: Mippin Social is really a simple way to discover, connect, share and recommend content with users like you via your mobile to a global audience. It works by cross-referencing content consumption and user recommendations, so that we can enable Mippin to connect people with other like-minded people.

DM: So where did the idea come from?

SB: We’ve always tried to help people discover and share content, and a little while back, we started to do some sophisticated things that allowed people to personalise their own page without having to register. So you might go on Mippin and read Mobile Marketing Magazine, so we would let you know that other Mippin users who read Mobile Marketing Magazine also look at the following sites. So it was a recommendation engine basically. But it was Mippin doing the recommending. So then we thought: ‘Why do we need to do this? Why don’t we just introduce users to other users and let them decide who they want to interact with.’
So we have created an individual page for every user. Mine is scottbeau.mippin.com, for example. So any user who wants to can discover me and see what I’m looking at and what I’ve shared and recommended, Facebook-style. Then you might want to follow this person’s stream and they can follow you in return. We’re excited because we can see immediately that people are much more engaged because you tend to respond better to what people you want to follow are recommending to you.

DM: So how does it work?

SB: When you visit Mippin on your phone, you’ll see on the homepage a link called ‘Featured Users’. If you click on one of these, you will see more details about them, including their Mippin username, the sites they look at, the people they are connected to, and how similar they are to you, based on their profile and the sites they look at on Mippin. You can also see what stories they have shared, and you get the option to Follow them as you would on Twitter, to see what sites they’ve been looking at.

DM: So when I click on the Featured Users link, are the users that are returned completely random? Can I search for someone I know who uses Mippin because I want to see what sites they look at? Because that to me is when something like this starts to become really useful.

SB: Right now, it is random, but that functionality will come with the next release in there or four weeks time. The next release will also enable you to search for people who look at sites about a particular subject, such as fishing, yoga, or whatever.

DM: So how does this benefit users?

SB: Well it’s easy to use for one thing. There’s no download required. And it’s just another way of finding relevant content. I use it all the time now, I can dip into my social stream and see what stories people are recommending. It helps me bust my boundaries, because I think we all tend to get stuck in a rut in terms of the stories we follow. What’s really beautiful about this and Twitter is that it helps you get through the boundaries that are put up by yourself.

DM: And how long has this been up and running?

SB: It’s been in private beta for the past four weeks with 1,000 users. It went live last week, and we’ve had great feedback on what people like about it and on how it can be improved.

DM: And where is this heading ultimately?

SB: There are two parts to our DNA. We always wanted the end consumer to get content  for free, and we always wanted publishers to be able to put their content in front of consumers without necessarily going via an operator, so for the publishers, it’s an opportunity to monetize their content, because if content is being recommended, that’s going to drive incremental traffic and revenue. And for the consumer, we want to make Mippin more engaging and more relevant to them so that it becomes either their default homepage, or one of three or four mobile sites they visit daily.