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"Diversity" is the word that perhaps best describes the Asia-Pacific region. The characteristics of each of the region's markets are very different, and with this diversity comes a significant challenge for mobile developers who seek to conduct business on a regionwide level.
Operators
Australia
This market is ideally suited to developers with applications localized in English. Culturally, the Australian market resembles the U.K. market more closely than it does the markets of its geographic neighbors.
Four mobile operators are established in this market: Optus, Telstra, Vodafone, and 3.
For more information, please visit the following Web pages:
India
India is one of the fastest-growing mobile markets in the APAC region and, with 14 official languages and 544 dialects, the most diverse. With mobile market penetration of India's 1 billion-plus population at less than 20 percent, opportunity for growth abounds. The mobile sector is one of the fastest-growing segments of India's economy, and it also exceeds the market penetration of fixed-line telephone services.
For developers intending to enter the Indian market, an ability to support highly localized content and low price points is essential.
The following are India's leading GSM mobile operators:
- Bharti Airtel
- Vodafone (formerly Hutch)
- BSNL
- Aircel Cellular
- Idea Cellular
- Reliance Mobile
- Tata Communications
Indonesia
Indonesia is also a fast-growing Asian market. Although local content is still popular, lately consumers are downloading more international content as well. Operators typically get international developers to work with local aggregators; they seldom work directly with developers. Bollywood and other Asian content is very popular in Indonesia.
While there are other, smaller operators serving the Indonesian market, the key mobile operators are:
Japan
Japan's total mobile phone subscriptions number 107.4 million. NTT DoCoMo, KDDI au, and SoftBank Mobile (formerly Vodafone Japan) are key players. NTTDoCOMo is Japan's dominant mobile operator, with approximately 50 percent market share. Disney Mobile started its service in March 2008. (Consumers enter into contracts with Walt Disney Japan but use SoftBank's network.) The top-selling device manufacturers in Japan are Sharp, Panasonic, and Fujitsu.
The top mobile operators in Japan are:
Malaysia
Malaysia has three mobile operators, and two of them have already launched HSDPA networks in their emerging economy. Although the cost of data still prevents prevalent use of these high-speed networks, personalization content and Java™ applications are very popular among many of the growing middle-class and younger consumers.
Malaysia's key mobile operators are:
The Philippines
The two largest operators in the Philippines account for far more of the country's total mobile subscriber base than any other operators. They also are among the world leaders in revenues generated from mobile data as part of total mobile-service revenues.
In early 2006, 3G network services were launched in the Philippines. Operators work mainly via local aggregators to publish and deliver mobile content to subscribers.
The top mobile operators in the Philippines are:
Singapore
Despite a relatively small addressable market of subscribers, Singapore is an attractive market because of highly innovative mobile operators that are looking to drive average revenue per user (ARPU) and protect their existing base. In light of the fact that all operators in Singapore have launched islandwide HSDPA networks, that the affluent English-speaking population has a device-replacement cycle of nine months, and that data, SMS, and MMS are relatively low in cost, Singapore is a great enviroment in which to launch and test new ideas.
Operators traditionally work directly with branded labels and developers with an ability to demonstrate product innovation or deliver scale. In terms of innovation, Singapore was one of the first markets to successfully launch blogging and to build a community around it. Music and multiplayer-game services also represent key focus areas for Singapore operators.
The key mobile operators in Singapore are:
Thailand
Of Thailand's five mobile operators, AIS, dtac, and True are the key players. dtac has been making substantial progress in the value-added space and is an early adopter of new technologies. Music and e-mail are the key focus areas for AIS and dtac, and TA's focus is on games. Thailand is a price-sensitive market, and anything priced higher than $2 US is a hard sell. Operators in Thailand typically get international developers to work with their top content providers (aggregators). In exceptional cases, they are known to work directly with developers.
For more information, please visit the following Web pages:
Aggregators
Apic Systems Pte Ltd (Singapore)
Apic Systems Pte Ltd (iGuanaMobile.com), an independent mobile-infotainment and service integrator in Singapore, offers digital
content, applications, and services. Apic provides mobile voice and data services that are geared for both the enterprise
and consumer market segments. The services are delivered by means such as the Internet, IVR, SMS, MMS, GPRS, and WAP, as well
as proprietary standards such as Nokia Smart Messaging and various operator connectivity protocols. As a service integrator,
Apic seamlessly integrates the functions of application provider, content provider, and service provider through network providers
across multiple countries. The company commands the leading position in mobile infotainment in Singapore and Asia.
Find out more about Apic Systems
Auer Media & Entertainment (Taiwan)
Auer Media & Entertainment is a mobile content provider and publisher that offers digital products including ring-back tones,
full track, True Tones, polyphonic ring tones, graphics, and fortune-telling services. The company focuses on integrating
telecom platforms such as IVR, SMS, WAP, and 3G, as well as on developing mobile entertainment and business services to enrich
users' lives. And Auer, with its own value-added brand e7Play, aims to deliver a better mobile-service experience to end users.
Gambit Group Pty Ltd (Australia)
Gambit Group is an Australian leader specialising in the development and design of wireless applications and content for the
mobile infotainment market and is proud to offer wireless applications and content on a global level with offices in London,
UK and Johannesburg, South Africa & New York City, USA. Gambit Group provides three types of services to the mobile market:
a). Wireless Content Aggregator: Gambit has an extensive network with global content channel partners. b). Wireless Applications
Developer: Gambit has a specialised team of experienced developers for wireless technology across all platforms. c). Wireless
Media Company: Gambit provides wireless channel to market for companies wishing to target customers and grow their revenue
via wireless technology.
Find out more about Gambit Group
GEN-X TECHNOLOGY Sdn Bhd (Malaysia)
Gen-X Technology is a provider of digital mobile content, an aggregator, and a system provider. It has established a solid
market channel with media companies and mobile operators, and it also provides a billing-on-behalf platform for content providers
and business partners. Gen-X offers Malaysia's greatest variety of mobile content and most sophisticated billing platform.
Find out more about Gen-X Technology
Indiagames Ltd. (India)
Indiagames is the number one mobile and online-game company in India and a global mobile-game publisher. The company publishes
and develops games for various platforms, including the Internet, mobile devices, and consoles. Indiagames products and services
are distributed through partnerships with major operators in more than 67 countries and also through its consumer-focused
Web site.
Find out more about Indiagames
Information Gateway Inc. (Philippines)
Information Gateway, Inc. (IG), the leading wireless content and application provider in the Philippines, offers a wide array
of innovative products, including mobile entertainment, information, and messaging. IG's competitive strength has consistently
been its ability to innovate and craft solutions that appeal to the local market, and then to market these products and services
effectively. IG prides itself on breaking new ground in the industry: It has launched several firsts in the Philippines, including
mobile chat, group chat, and multiplayer SMS games.
Find out more about Information Gateway
People Infocom Pvt Ltd. (India)
People Infocom's Mauj is India's leading wireless value-added services brand. It offers a wide array of services over GPRS,
SMS, MMS, and IVR via all operators in India. Mauj develops games and applications, specializing in multiplayer real-time
Bluetooth and augmented-reality (camera-based) games and in applications that involve "idle screen" or "always on" concepts.
Find out more about Mauj
Pocketnet Wireless Technology Inc. (Taiwan)
Pocketnet is a developer and publisher of mobile offerings such as games, entertainment applications, music, mobile magazine
and mobile comics. The company develops and markets complete mobile on-device service solutions to operators, device makers,
and end users. Pocketnet focuses on offerings supported by SMS, MMS, WAP, Java™ ME, and Symbian OS.
Find out more at
www.joy-box.com
wap.joy-box.com
pocketbookstore.pocketnet.com.tw
POPidols Co., Ltd. (Thailand)
POPidols is a mobile digital-media company that is recognized as a pioneer and an innovator in the field of digital entertainment.
POPidols' Symphony content-management system was created in close collaboration with Big Four international music labels (EMI,
SonyBMG, Universal Music, and Warner Music) to address the needs of content owners everywhere. Symphony became the first digital-content
platform used by Big Four labels to exclusively manage their mobile-content libraries.
Find out more about POPidols' FunLoader service
PT. Elasitas Multi Kreasi (Indonesia)
Elasitas is a leading provider of mobile-service-platform and value-added-service solutions in the region. With expertise
in multichannel and multiplatform service-management and content-aggregation systems, Elasitas is uniquely positioned to offer
end-to-end solutions for network operators, service providers, mobile device manufacturers, media companies, and brand owners.
As a service provider, Elasitas operates and maintains one of the largest networks of mobile content distribution channels
in Indonesia, with a focus on premium and branded services.
Find out more about Elasitas
PT. iGuana Technology
PT. iGuana Technology (iGuanaSMS), a mobile content and solution provider in Indonesia, offers a wide range of services with
a focus on fun, entertainment, and lifestyle. iGuanaSMS has a wide range of multidelivery platforms (Web, WAP, USSD, STK,
Java™, SMS, MMS, and IVR) for optimal distribution of content and applications. iGuanaSMS has been recognized, through awards
and other honors, as a company with the best revenue growth, the best performance in the downloadable category, and the number
one content-download category by major GSM operators XL, Indosat, and Telkomsel, respectively.
Find out more about iGuanaMobile
Sam Click Ltd. (Thailand)
Sam Click Ltd. is an innovative mobile-content aggregator that specializes in providing premium SMS services through various
channels, including IVR, SMS, MMS, and WAP. The company offers a large volume of premium content, ranging from house-branded
offerings to famous licensed brands. Sam Click boasts cross-media expertise and strengths in mobile application development
and marketing. It is owned by Index Multimedia, an Index Corporation subsidiary.
Find out more about Club Tigermob
Find out more about Club UNYC
Find out more about Index Multimedia
Find out more about Index Corporation
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