Philippines operator launches

RNS Number : 2339R

Synchronica PLC

18 August 2010

 



Synchronica plc

('Synchronica' or 'the Company')

Smart Communications Goes Live with Synchronica-based Push Email Service

Highlights:

·     Philippines carrier Smart Communications launches GoMail.

·     Based on Synchronica's Mobile Gateway, GoMail is the country's first flat-rated mobile push email service.

·     Two subscription options exist - Unlimited Monthly (USD 4.45) and Unlimited Daily (USD 0.45).

Synchronica plc, the international provider of next-generation mobile messaging services, announces that Smart Communications, Inc. ('Smart'), the largest mobile operator in the Philippines, has launched GoMail, a mass market push email service based on Synchronica's award-winning Mobile Gateway middleware.

Smart is the first and only operator in the Philippines to launch a flat-rated mobile push email service which is targeted specifically to the consumer market and is compatible with all handsets.

GoMail is available to all Smart subscribers and is based on Synchronica's award-winning Mobile Gateway product. Mobile Gateway provides 100% device compatibility by using the built-in email and synchronization clients found in a wide range of handsets, in addition to Email-to-MMS and Email-to-SMS for basic handsets. Competing operators in the Philippines use client-based solutions which are suitable for a limited range of handsets, dramatically decreasing their addressable market.

Smart's subscribers can register for the service by sending the word 'Mail' and their handset model, as a text to 7077. The service is billed at a low monthly rate of P199 (USD 4.45), or a daily rate of P20 (USD 0.45). Smart has embarked on a major print and radio advertising campaign to support uptake of the service.

"Being able to provide push email to any of our 45.3-million customers was a compelling prospect for Smart," said Danilo Mojica, head of Smart's Wireless Consumer Division. "In the same way that Smart's innovative but affordable offerings made the use of voice and SMS ubiquitous in the Philippines, we would like to turn email into another universally available service on a mobile phone from which the everyday Filipino may benefit. With the launch of GoMail, we've turned that prospect into a reality. Synchronica's Mobile Gateway was the ideal choice to power GoMail, giving our subscribers a user-friendly way of sending and receiving email on any kind of handset."

Carsten Brinkschulte, CEO of Synchronica, adds: "We're really pleased that Smart chose our award-winning Mobile Gateway to bring their innovative GoMail push email service to market. Synchronica's Mobile Gateway has been designed for markets like the Philippines, where operators are increasingly introducing addictive data services to the mass-market as a means of increasing ARPU levels, and combating churn".

Synchronica plc	Carsten Brinkschulte, CEO	[phone]
	Angus Dent, CFO	[phone]
www.synchronica.com	Nicole Meissner, COO	[phone]
FinnCap	Clive Carver , Nomad	[phone]
	Charlotte Stranner, Corporate Finance	[phone]
	Stephen Norcross, Corporate Broker	[phone]
Walbrook PR Ltd	Paul McManus	[phone]
		[phone]
		[e-mail]

About Smart Communications

Smart Communications, Inc. is the Philippines' leading wireless services provider with 45.3 million subscribers on its GSM network as of end-June 2010. SMART has built a reputation for innovation, having introduced world-first wireless data services, including mobile commerce services such as Smart Money and Smart Load. Smart also offers 3G and HSPA services. Its Smart Link service provides communications to the global maritime industry. Smart Broadband, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary, offers a wireless broadband service, Smart BRO, with 1.3 million subscribers as of end-June 2010. Smart is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Philippines' leading telecommunications carrier, the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company. For more information, visit www.smart.com.ph

About Synchronica

Synchronica plc is a leading developer of next-generation mobile messaging solutions based on open industry standards. The award-winning product portfolio includes the flagship product Mobile Gateway, providing push email, synchronization, instant messaging (IM), backup and restore, and mobile connectivity to social networks. Synchronica's products are white-labeled and offered by mobile operators in emerging and developed markets to provide mass market messaging services, increasing data revenues and reducing churn.

Synchronica Mobile Gateway provides a unique multi-protocol gateway combining Push IMAP, SyncML, ActiveSync, Email to MMS, and Email to SMS, delivering push email and synchronization to literally any mobile phone currently in the market without requiring an additional client to be downloaded. Expanding instant messaging to mobile devices, Mobile Gateway establishes carrier-branded IM communities, using the industry standard XMPP and provides gateways to popular internet IM communities, connecting any IMPS-enabled handset.

Headquartered in England, Synchronica also maintains a development center in Germany, in addition to a regional presence in the USA, Hong Kong, and Dubai. Synchronica plc is a public company traded on the AIM list of the London Stock Exchange (SYNC.L). For further information, please visit www.synchronica.com

 

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