Mig33 riding the emerging market mobile wave

The Singapore-based mobile social network and chat service mig33 claims to have grown to about 40-million registered users almost exclusively by virtue of its Java (J2ME) application.

The J2me application is available on about 2 000 different mobile handsets since the service was founded in 2006.

mig33 is riding a wave of rapid adoption of mobile devices across the world, and particularly in emerging markets, which is underpinning the growth of vast new markets.

According to Gartner, by 2013 mobile phones will overtake PCs as the most common Web access device worldwide. By 2014 more than three billion of the world’s adult population will be able to transact electronically via mobile and Internet technology.

In South Africa, research by World Wide Worx indicates that the use of mobile Internet services has exploded, and usage of specific applications, such as social networking, far outpace Internet browsing on the phone.

Mei Lin Ng, co-founder and VP marketing of mig33, says the mobile phone has become ubiquitous as the way for people to connect with each other and with the Internet. The company has now launched a new WAP service to extend its offering.

“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. “Our web platform delivers functionality that surpasses that of other chat- and IM-oriented sites.

“This means our chat, instant messaging, gifting, games and other services are now available to a much wider audience across developing, mobile-first markets like South Africa, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe, on which mig33 already focuses.”

Steven Goh, CEO and co-founder of mig33 says that millions of consumers are accessing entertainment and communications in “ever-expanding ways, from smartphones and low-cost handsets alike to web-based services and desktop clients”.

“This is about much more than new platforms –- it’s about access and growth,” he says.

“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.

The new WAP service 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. mig33’s new AJAX web application allows customers to participate in the community directly from the desktop, and includes new chat, avatar and user interface offerings.