www.synchronica.com
Synchronica plc is a global innovator in next-generation mobile messaging technologies. Its flagship product, Unity, been chosen by more than 100 of the world's leading mobile operators and OEMs to power their own-branded push email, instant messaging, and social networking services.
With leading features such as Unified Messaging, Geo Socialization, and RCS as a Service, Unity connects to any mobile device - from the most basic mobile phone, to high-end tablets - providing customers with a strong foundation on which to achieve market differentiation, diversified revenue streams, and reduced churn.
Headquartered in the United Kingdom, Synchronica maintains global research and development centres in Canada, Germany, India, and the Philippines. Synchronica's shares trade on the London Stock Exchange AIM market (SYNC) and the Venture Exchange of the Toronto Stock Exchange (SYN).
Synchronica shares up on news of mass-market roll-out in Africa
Shares in Synchronica (LON:SYNC, CVE:SYN) were up nearly 4 percent today on news that the communication expert's technology is being used for a mass-market roll out for mobile phone users in Africa.
Today, the firm revealed that a partner, with operations in 19 countries, has launched a new messaging service that exposes the firm's 'Mobile Gateway' product to more than 200 million subscribers in 16 countries.
In early deals, Synchronica shares were up 3.8 percent on yesterday's close - changing hands at 20.5 pence.
Broker Northland Capital Partners reiterated its "buy" recommendation for the Synchronica stock - and targeted a price of 53 pence.
Partner Bharti Airtel is a leading global telecommunications company across Asia and Africa.
As at the end of May this year, it had more than 226 million customers across its operations. It offers mobile voice and data services, fixed line, and high speed broadband, amongst other products.
Now it has launched a new service called "airtel connect" using Synchronica's product and it will be available to all types of mobile phone.
The service offers technology, like push e-mail, which converts an e-mail message into a SMS text message, instant messaging, and social networking, to the mass African market.
This latest launch comes after AIM-listed Synchronica and Bharti Airtel earlier finalised an agreement to work together.
"Synchronica has proven itself to be the ideal mobile messaging partner for us," said Andre Beyers, Airtel's chief marketing officer.
"Since we chose to work with Synchronica, they have met all of our development, integration and deployment milestones.
"With 'airtel connect' we can offer all of our customers, regardless of which mobile device they use, a user-friendly way of connecting to their favourite email, IM and social networking services."
CEO of Synchronica Carsten Brinkschulte said: "Airtel shares our view that forward-thinking operators need to introduce addictive data services that can be enjoyed by the mass market, not just those who own a high-end Smartphone.
"Our solution will help Airtel not only to increase ARPU (average revenue per user) but also to combat churn (the number of contracted customers who leave in a certain period).
In a note, Northland analyst David Johnson said today: “Roll out of the Airtel Africa service exposes Synchronica’s Mobile Gateway product to more than 200 million subscribers.
"Synchronica has access to a massive addressable market through its contracts with 83 MNOs (major network operators) and 8 handset manufacturers and, as services are deployed and taken up by subscribers we expect follow on orders to come through, smoothing the revenue curve of the business."
The roll-out ties in with Synchronica's targeting of emerging and developing markets for mobiles, including Latin America where the mobile phone is the first and sometimes only means of access to the internet and email for tens of millions of people.
The company’s flagship product, Mobile Gateway, turns emails into SMS format that can be read on any phone from high-end touch-screens right down to throwaways.
The acquisition of Canada’s iseemedia in 2010 gave the company access to additional technology that streams attachments to mobiles.
Mobile Gateway is cheap and easy to install - and what's more, tailor-made for the emerging markets and the company's current addressable marketplace is 1.3 billion potential customers and growing.
In March, when the firm announced robust prelims for 2010, chief executive Brinkschulte said: "We accelerated customer acquisition with both mobile operators and device manufacturers which in turn drove record growth in our addressable market, expanded our global footprint and established our position as the leader in the mobile messaging market for emerging economies.
“At the same time, we added new technology to our flagship Mobile Gateway platform to increase functionality.
“As we move forward in 2011, these accomplishments will enable us to further build our customer base, focus on increasing usage across the networks and expand our target to the developed markets," said Brinkschulte.
