Russian Mobile Content News
Newsletter, July 14 - August 01, 2006

A1 starting services in Baltic countries
Moscow based "A1:First Alternative content provider" started to provide mobile content services for the Baltic region. "The launch in Baltic states is quite logical, first of all because of our partner channel A-One: it covers Baltic states and we had a lot of requests from our viewers to start providing interactive services," said Anatoly Chekin, project directorate head of A1. "Secondly, we can see that the mobile coverage in the region is high and new technologies are highly claimed for. And finally, Baltic networks are more technological and it is interesting for us to do something in a developed market." A1 plans to implement a unique tariffing scheme in Baltic states when different types of content can be assigned to one short number and be charged differently.
Source: http://www.mforum.ru/news/article/035703.htm

GFI Mobile partnering with Nostromo in Russia
GFI Mobile will distribute mobile games of Nostromo, including Garfield, Happy Tree Friends and Mr. Bean in the territory of Russia. "Nostromo is the leading developer of mobile games and applets in the Eastern Europe. Nostromo's branded hits are on everyone's lips and pretty attractive for Russian gamers. GFI Mobile is very excited by cooperation with Nostromo and we try to do our best to attract Russian games to these hits," said Vycheslav Plotnikov, CEO, GFI Mobile. Nostromo is active in the area of distribution of mobile content within the scope of Eastern Europe, Russia/CIS and Turkey, and also in the area of development of mobile games and general mobile content, especially branded content. GFI Mobile is a daughter company of GFI company - one of the leading publishers and developers of computer games in Russia.
Source: http://www.cforum.ru/news/article/035750.htm

SMS Media Solutions reported 1H06 results
Mobile content provider SMS Media Solutions has earned $13 mln in the 1H06 (almost 100% growth rate comparing to $6.6 mln sales in 1H05). The company revenue for the entire 2005 was $17.7 mln. By the end of 2006 SMS Media Solutions is planning to reach 7-8% of the Russian mobile content market share. The main revenues of SMS Media Solutions coming from interactive media services, SMS chats and content aggregation services.
Source: http://www.cforum.ru/news/article/035799.htm

Samsung and i-Free developed Java browser embedded in mobile phones
The Java browser, developed by i-Free in partnership with Samsung Electronics, is embedded into the mobile phone when it is manufactured, opening easy and safe fast-track access to the manufacturer's portal: Samsung Fun Club. The Java portal is run by pressing the central button on the phone's keypad, instantly introducing the user to a wealth of features offered by the Samsung portal and new Samsung phones. All the content available at the portal has been customized or was specially developed for Samsung mobile phones. All the services available at the Samsung Fun Club portal were created and are run by i-Free.
Source: http://company.i-free.ru/eng/

Nikita Mobile leaded in mass media advertisement in 1Q06
According to TNS Gallup AdFact research, during the first three months of the year 2006, the quantity of Nikita's advertising materials in the Russian mass media positioned Nikita as No 14 among the Russian mass media advertisers. For that period Nikita secured the leading place by the advertising range among all of the Russian content providers.
Source: http://www.nikita.ru

FMK launching Java game based on "Nobody knows about sex" film
Moviemaker company Central Partnership and mobile content developer Fabrika Mobilnogo Kontenta (FMK) are cooperating in a new project "Nobody knows about sex". A Java game based on the film scenario was developed by FMK and the New Edge company. "The game release will attract even more youth to the new comedy of Central Partnership as the film and the game have common target audience," said Alexander Frenkel, FMK CEO. The game will be distributed in Russia, CIS and Baltic countries at the same time as the film release, that will enhance the film and the game cross promotion.
Source: http://www.cforum.ru/news/article/035794.htm

MTS announced it has suspended all activities in its i-mode
MTS, Russia's largest cellular operator, announced it has suspended all activities in its i-mode service until September. "MTS has halted its advertising campaign and shut down its Web site dedicated to i-mode," said Kirill Alyavdin, MTS' spokesman. i-mode launched by MTS in September 2005 has gained only 100,000 users while the operator had a total of about 48 mln subscribers as of June 2006. According to analysts, MTS invested $20 mln in the project launch while monthly revenue from the i-mode subscribers stood at about $150,000 (7.5% ROI over 10 months). The main problem of the i-mode project failure was lack of "interesting" competitive handsets.
Source: http://www.vedomosti.ru/newspaper/article.shtml?2006/07/24/109978

VimpelCom published Top-10 content provider list
Cellular operator VimpelCom (Beeline brand) has published Top-10 content provider list for June 2006. The list is based on revenues from voice and SMS services within Beeline's partnership program.
Souztelecom/SMS Media Solutions
Neva Line
INFON
i-Free
PlayFon
Nikita Mobile
Neriton
Solvo International
Iricom
MGTS
The rating has a limited significance as it reflects content sales over just one cellular operator.
Source: http://www.cforum.ru/news/article/035803.htm

MTS cutting number of its direct content partners
MTS is forcing minor content providers to work indirectly over aggregators. "Currently we have hundreds of content providers and we are unable to pay enough attention to each of them," said Kirill Alyavdin, MTS' spokesman. MTS has published a list of 30 content providers to serve as aggregators for the others. The operator has sent official letters of contract termination to minor content providers offering them to get connectivity over the listed aggregators. According to unofficial sources, VimpelCom and MegaFon are also in favour to reduce a number of content providers to deal with directly.
Source: http://www.vedomosti.ru

i-Free presented international graffiti festival
i-Free co-hosted Meeting of Styles, the renowned international graffiti festival that has never been held in Russia before, in St. Petersburg on 28-30 July, featuring top graffiti talent from all parts of the world. Meeting of Styles (MOS), a unique, colorful modern art phenomenon, has been held for four consecutive years, bringing together both celebrated graffiti artists and beginners from across the globe several times a year. The festival has been hosted by the US, Mexico, Brazil, the Netherlands, Denmark, France, Portugal, Poland and Greece. MOS came to Russia for the first time this year.
Source: http://company.i-free.ru/eng/

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