The Hindu : Kerala News : Going big on mobile technology

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 12, 2007
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Kerala

Kerala

Going big on mobile technology

C. Gouridasan Nair

VALUE ADDITION: MobME, new business venture of Torque, will open up before mobile users the amazing world of Mobile Value Added Services.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Torque team is at it again. `The Magnificent Seven' of the College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram, who created waves by launching their own IT start-up while in college, are getting ready for the next big leap with a mobile infotainment initiative that works at the cutting edge in technology.

From seven, who included Union Defence Minister A.K. Antony's son Anil, the Torque team has grown to 17.

And, traversing the thorny path of entrepreneurship over the last 18 months, the team has picked up valuable lessons in enterprise and garnered support from silent angel investors to position themselves on the launch pad of one of the next big things in entertainment.

`MobME', as they call it, new business venture of Torque, with its base in Kochi, will open up before mobile users in the State and elsewhere the amazing world of Mobile Value Added Services (M-VAS).

Unlike some big players at the national level who are focussing on entertainment, MobME will have a bunch of value added services to offer, with information and entertainment services available in equal measure.

Growing at over five million new users each month, the Indian mobile market currently stands at 140 million and is expected to touch 350 million by 2009.

The M-VAS industry in India is estimated at Rs.2,850 crore currently and is estimated to grow by 60 per cent to touch Rs.4,560 crore by end-2007.

This space is currently completely dominated by entertainment services with SMSes generating Rs.1,140 crore in turnover, ring tones generating Rs.1,026 crore, games and data Rs.171 crore and other services Rs.86 crore.

Sanjay Vijayakumar, Chief Operating Officer, Torque, sees MobME as a new age entertainment company that will seek to tap the Entertainment VAS that provide entertainment for leisure time usage, Info VAS that provides useful information to the end user and mCommerce VAS that allows transactions using the mobile phone.

MobME will roll out its value added services by March and has entered into crucial tie-ups. "We will disclose the alliances and products of MobME when the timing is right for us," says Mr. Sanjay.

Mr. Sanjay and four of his original team members are still students of College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram.

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