Cellebrum,
a mobile value added services and solutions company owned by Delhi-based Mcorp Global, is looking at acquisitions in the mobile content space. In an effort to ramp up its mobile content business, the company would pursue both organic and inorganic options to grow in content, Savinder Sarna, head-marketing & business alliance, told ContentSutra in an interview. Mcorp Global is a B K Modi group company.
One of the options for Cellebrum is to acquire a mobile gaming company. Currently, Cellebrum is sourcing the content from international and national game developers. An acquisition would enhance the efforts of Cellebrum and fill the gap much faster than developing it inhouse. “We are already in talks with a couple of companies,” informed Sarna.
Currently, Cellebrum is more of an aggregator of GPRS Content as only 40 per cent of the content is created inhouse. That is likely to change since the company plans to ramp up its current content development staff of 25 by three or four times. “The aim is to take the team strength to 60-100 very soon,” Sarna said.
Early this month, Cellebrum had tied up with Sweden’s Kamera to market the latter’s mobile entertainment channel WOW! TV in India. The six-month agreement will see streaming of mobile video on fashion, hollywood and other international trends to Indian mobile subscribers.
Cellebrum is already strong in mobile telecom solutions like SMS and IVRS and is a leading global roaming services provider in India with BSNL as one of its major customers. But the content business is something which it intends to focus from now on since mobile content is gaining traction. The company is already present in ringtones, horoscope, wallpapers, themes, entertainment and so on.
Betting on Background Music
One new item Cellebrum is upbeat about is background music (BGM) which is played by the operator in the background of a call. Besides Spice Telecom and Spice Communicatrions (the group companies that operate mobile services in Punjab and Karnataka circles), it also caters to Idea Cellular and Reliance Telecom on a national level, and is also in talks with all other major operators of the country. “We are planning to rollout this service globally,” Sarna said.
A subscriber can choose three BGM songs for Rs 15- Rs 20 a month. Sarna said BGM can boost average revenue per user (ARPU) – which is currently in the range of Rs 350 in India – since every subscriber can dish out on an average of Rs 50 a month for BGM. Idea’s 40,000 subcribers and Spice’s 35,000 have already signed up for the service.
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