Synchronica plc, the international provider of next-generation mobile messaging services, has received a purchase order valued at $ 560,000 (U.S.) for initial Mobile Gateway licenses and professional services from the Nigerian subsidiary of a large pan-African mobile operator group.
This is the eighth order for Mobile Gateway from a subsidiary of the group. Combined, the eight subsidiaries represent 100 million mobile subscribers presenting a significant addressable market at the heart of Synchronica’s target market of emerging economies.
The Nigerian operator focuses its product and service development on services that enhance brand loyalty and value whilst facilitating revenue growth – particularly from mobile data and value-added services. The order is Synchronica’s seventeenth contract win this year, and will result in two of Nigeria’s top operators launching a Mobile Gateway-based service in the near future.
Nigeria is a key battleground for mobile services, a major target market for Synchronica, and one that is poised for significant growth. According to a recent study by Technology Strategies International, although Nigeria is Africa’s largest mobile market, mobile phone penetration levels are currently below 50 per cent.
The international market research and information analyst, RNCOS, projects the Nigerian mobile sector to grow at a compound annual growth rate of approximately 16 percent over the next three years, adding approximately 50 million subscribers.
Commenting on the order, Carsten Brinkschulte, CEO of Synchronica, said: “With this initial order from the Nigerian subsidiary we’ve further extended our lead in Africa as the operators’ vendor of choice for next-generation mobile messaging. Nigeria is the continent’s largest mobile market and one of the fastest-growing too. Mobile Gateway will be launched by two of Nigeria’s top operators, and very soon seven out of every ten Nigerian GSM customers will have access to Synchronica’s award-winning mobile messaging infrastructure.”
Synchronica’s Mobile Gateway product is compatible with virtually any mobile phone. It uses the built-in messaging clients which are found in a wide range of handsets, in addition to Email-to-MMS and Email-to-SMS for basic handsets, to provide mobile access to push email and synchronization, instant messaging, and connectivity to popular social networking services.