14 DAY TRIAL // Mobio Networks announced a partnership with Times Internet Limited, the digital wing of the Times Group and the parent company of Indiatimes, the largest web portal in India, to create and distribute new mobile mash-up applications. Mobio will be the exclusive distribution partner for nine Indian mobile operators. As part of the agreement, Mobio has developed new applications designed for India's rapidly growing mobile population that include 2007 Cricket World Cup-themed services such as Indiatimes Cricket Station for live scores and Howzzat!!! for fantasy cricket.
"TIL has turned Indiatimes into a mega-brand in the Indian market. With over one billion page views per month and millions of daily requests for branded content like ringtones and images, partnering with Indiatimes enables us to reach a vast population of mobile phone users that are excited to use the handset for a lot more than simple voice or SMS functionality," said Ramneek Bhasin, CEO of Mobio. "We are working closely with Indiatimes to create new applications that meet the unique requirements and interests of Indian consumers who use the mobile phone as their primary Internet connectivity device. Our services provide the best of Web, including gaming, shopping, restaurant reservations and entertainment, right on the mobile phone."
To publicize the new services, Indiatimes will perform a range of marketing activities that include print ads in India's leading journals, as well as online advertising. Mobio's cricket applications will be prominently featured "on-deck" with Airtel, one of India's largest wireless operators with over 33 million subscribers. In addition, eight other operators including BPL Mobile, MTNL Mumbai, MTNL Delhi, Aircell, Spice Karnataka, Idea Cellular, BSNL and Hutch will offer the applications. Both applications are currently available on some of the most popular phone models for a one-time download price of $4.99 in the US or Rs. 99 in India.