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 Expansion for mig33
By Theo Boshoff
Social networking and entertainment service mig33 is expanding in developing countries, such as South Africa, because of the growth in the use of mobile devices able to connect to the internet, and believes its new WAP platform will ensure further growth.
Mei Lin Ng, co-founder and VP marketing of mig33, says the company is staying ahead of developments in the mobile services space by delivering new platforms for mobile and web access to millions of potential users.
“Mig33’s philosophy has always been based on ease of use and our new mobile WAP service provides access from any device – from basic handsets to smartphones – bringing these communities into the mobile mainstream,” says Ng.
The service has grown to having close to 40 million registered users and, according to Ng, almost exclusively because of its Java (J2ME) application, supporting more than 2 000 different mobile handsets.
Steven Goh, CEO and co-founder of mig33, adds that mig33’s new platforms are designed to meet that demand, afford the company new ways to market its services, and pave the way for mig33 to add tens of millions more customers in mobile-first markets worldwide.
 “We’ve largely built the mig33 community on a mobile J2ME client, and we have now taken the first major step in widening our access to the other major mobile and internet platforms. The primary means of mobile access is still WAP in many markets. At the same time, our new web platform is effectively our route to the desktop, as native and web apps are converging and will soon be essentially one and the same. As a result, we believe we’ve built the onramps that will help us become the mobile social entertainment service of choice,” says Goh.
The new WAP service, according to the company, gives mig33 members access to all existing community services and features, and also allows users to create and participate in member blogs and forums.
The service hosts expanded versions of mig33’s popular migWars game and provides additional user avatar options, and its new AJAX web application allows customers to participate in the community directly from their PC with new and improved chat, avatar and user interface offerings. |
