MTN, IMImobile partner to bring mobile and online content to over 100 million users

November 21st, 2009 in Online Marketing- Middle East

Millions of mobile and online content users across Africa and the Middle East will reap the benefits of a tie-up between MTN and IMImobile - an India-based software and managed services provider linked to 350 content providers worldwide.

The two companies have teamed up in a bold move to address the growing demand for content in emerging markets. This strategic partnership will entail providing MTN’s 21 markets access to a repository of current and globally popular content through enhanced delivery platforms. Content categories will include music (with local and international flavour), sports, games, entertainment, news and much more.

It will also enable MTN to launch new income-generating voice and data services across its global footprint, with worldwide revenues from mobile content and services estimated at around US$150.2 billion in 2011, up from US$89.3 billion in 2006.

One of MTN’s new content streams will be the 2010 FIFA World Cup of which the mobile operator has exclusive global mobile content rights. Accordingly, MTN will leverage its IMImobile partnership to deliver exclusive 2010 FIFA World Cup content on subscribers’ handsets, including match news, fixtures and match results as well as team and group profiles.

The appointment of IMImobile as a strategic managed services and hosting partner follows an extensive review of MTN’s mobile content and media services landscape across its global footprint. MTN is now aligning its mobile content and media services strategy across its 21 markets in Africa and the Middle East to standardise and enhance its media content offerings to its subscribers.

MTN also wants to capitalise on the rapidly converging data content and voice market, with Africa, the Middle East and Latin America poised to witness the highest growth in revenue as additional mobile data services are being deployed in these regions.

Nozipho January-Bardill, MTN Group Corporate Affairs Executive, says IMImobile was selected from a group of major global telecom software and service providers because of the scalability of its technology platforms and managed services business model, “IMImobile’s value proposition and technology solutions will enable MTN to reduce the time-to-market for new services, boost Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) and keep MTN at the forefront of innovative services…We have found a partner in IMImobile that has the insight and expertise of the appropriate managed service business model and technology solution necessary to continue to deliver premium content and services to our customers.”

MTN has already introduced a number of exciting products and services on its portal and on www.mtnfootball.com during the FIFA Confederations Cup in June this year. This content is currently being archived to allow football fans to re-live the moment long after the games.

IMImobile will deploy its Service Delivery Platform (SDP), including its industry leading DaVinci Content Management System (CMS). The content strategy includes tailoring content for local consumer preferences, including French and Arabic, as well as exploiting MTN’s sponsorship of the 2010 FIFA World Cup through www.mtnfootball.com.

The 16 countries IMImobile will be deploying its full CMS across are: Botswana, Côte d’Ivoire, Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia, Benin,  Guinea Bissau, Guinea Republic Conakry, Liberia, Afghanistan, Syria, Cyprus and Yemen. IMImobile will also directly connect its central platform in London to the existing CMS platforms of the following five countries: Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Iran and Sudan.