Ideas|Products|Startups|VCs

Wouldn’t be nice on sharing the experience of your favorite hangout place with your friends and get rewarded? also getting recommendation on new hangout places you may like all through SMS. Good news is Revu.in has arrived.

Revu.in is a customer engagement plus reward platform on mobile. Revu.in is an innovative way to publish reviews about anything you like in real time by just sending a SMS. The platform enables businesses to build and engage with their community.

Revu.in is a Bangalore based startup founded by Mayank Sharma, Ishwar Sundararaman, Jaishankar Jayaramakrishnan. Revu was started in June 2010 with an idea of using mobile phone as a platform where consumers can talk about places they have been to and immediately promote it within their social media.

Revu bridges the gap between businesses and consumers using an existing device that consumers anyway use today – Their Mobile phone. Businesses run their mobile loyalty, engagement and informational programs and consumers subscribe to them with just their mobile number.

For users Revu.in provides a platform for them to share their experience in a restaurant/pub/concert plays etc with their friends on twitter/facebook and also let them socialize with other people in platform with similar interests.

Revu.in monetizes from the business for deploying its customer reward platform. For businesses Revu provides platform to offer rewards and discounts to their customers.

-Hitesh, vcBytes.com

Do you have a knack of loosing phones like me? Do you want information and other content should be safe and protected once phone is lost? Aren’t you keen in retrieving your contact lists? Here is good news – A pune based startup is hearing your woes and addressing your concerns.

Maverick Mobile is a pune based startup which develops innovative mobile applications for Indian and global market. Pune based Maverick Mobile is aggressively developing proprietarymobile applications and VAS products for the global and Indian market. Maverick Mobile has range of security and VAS products and are aggressively increasing their product portfolio. Maverick flagship products are  Maverick Secure Mobile(MSM).

Maverick Secure Mobile (MSM) is a mobile security application. Secure Mobile helps you protect your data, track your stolen device, retrieve your phonebook & disable the stolen device remotely. The application works in hidden mode and cannot be viewed in the device. To launch / customize this application one has to press pre-defined short keys and password. After installing MSM in the device, one must add “Reporting Contact” in the application. Reporting Contact can be your second number/friends number or any other mobile number on which you want to receive all the reports.which helps you protect your data, track your stolen device,retrieve your phonebook & disable the stolen device remotely. Theapplication works in hidden mode and cannot be viewed in the device.

MSM Pro is the advanced version of MSM, It enables users to retrieve GPS location of the stolen/lost phone, with this GPSlocation user can view real time location of the phone on Google Map.MSM Pro comes with Web interface using which user can controllost/stolen phone from remote computer.

Other Popular products from their stable are – Data backup, Call trapper, Secure SMS, MDND. I am planning to buy Maverick Do Not Disturb(MDND) and check out if it works properly. It claims to  block unwanted calls and messages or decide to receive calls and messages from selected numbers only. This application gives complete control over users accesibility to others.

Maverick Mobile now plans to foray into the entertainment and social network space and is developing a mobile based social network. Lets wait and watch this space.

-Hitesh, vcBytes.com

If you are fed up with poor mobile service of your current telecom service provider but have been continuing with them just to avoid changing your number, there is good news for you. Now Mobile number portability has come into effect which means you can now leave your old service provider for a new one without changing your number. This service is kicking off in Rohtak, Haryana and will be launched in other parts of country by end of Decemeber.

Process for changing the telecom operator -

• For porting, a subscriber has to send an SMS (PORT<space>Mobile Number) from the number he wishes to be ported, to number 1900.
• The subscriber will receive a Unique Porting Code (UPC) by SMS from his current service provider.
• Use that code while filling out a detailed form for the company you want to shift to. Within 48 hours, that company will take over all your cell services.
• User needs to incur Rs. 19 as transfer fees.

Guidelines -

• User can’t change the circles i.e. a user residing in Bangalore Karnakata can’t go for number of TamilNadu, roaming will be incurred.
• User can shift from GSM to CDMA and vice versa.
• User needs to be with new telecom operator for 50days before user can shift again.
• Post-paid subscribers, before making the porting request, have to make sure that their last bill has been paid failing which the request for change to new service provider shall be rejected.

Now you can play fantasy cricket game on your mobile that too with supported commentary (voice based). Reliance Communications has introduced a new way of playing cricket called ‘Cwicket’, a multi-lingual and fully featured voice based mobile cricket game. In order to play the game, Reliance users have to call and subscribe at 505101065.

Cwicket features audio based matches in the India Ka Public league, subscribers can choose one from 10 different teams – Kolkata Kite Flyers, Bangalore Techies and Chennai Super Annas to name a few.

A user is allowed to choose to play the game in either English or Hindi. The commentary is pivotal as users need to listen to the commentary and decide the shot he wants to play. 1000 points are awarded for every game played, 400 extra for a win and 100 each for every six or wicket. The points can be redeemed to enter virtual tournaments, power plays, real prizes and custom bats and balls.  Service charges for this Cwicket game are Rs 15 for 15 days.

What are the driving points for Reliance to come up with this fantasy game -

• Reliance communication has around 200M subscribers.
• Cricket is not a game but a religion in India, Indians love to watch, play and support cricket in any form.
• Reliance is targeting 5% of its subscriber base which can yield them Rs 300Million if played for 30days.

Cricket games have been available on Internet and mobile through WAP. India being a multilingual country, Reliance Communication has partnered with DialFy Technologies, a Voice based Services Company to launch Cwicket, the first major voice based service to play cricket on mobile.

-Hitesh, vcBytes.com

Vodafone Essar one of India’s leading cellular service providers has selected Ericsson as exclusive 3G HSPA hardware, software and related service vendor to equip India’s largest metropolitan cities; Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata with latest HSPA mobile broadband network.

With strong subscriber growth and recent technology development, India’s information network is transforming itself rapidly. Vodafone Essar will deploy latest HSPA technology to deliver new type of services like video telephony, mobile broadband, mobile TV, video on demand and others such as music downloads, video tones, instant messaging, on line gaming.

Ericsson foresees three billion new mobile broadband subscriptions by 2015, a ten-fold increase over five years, and envisions 50 billion connected devices by 2020. Ericsson’s findings show that data traffic grew 280% globally during each of the last two years, and is forecast to grow 90% annually over the next five years. (Source: Ericsson Consumer Lab Mobile Broadband Study 2010)

Marten Pieters, Managing Director, Vodafone Essar, said, “Globally, Vodafone provides enhanced 3G experiences to a large base of customers. India is now ready for 3G, and we are committed to offer similar high-quality 3G services to our Indian customers. Ericsson is one of the specialists in this area and we view this as a very strategic alliance, in order to deliver and maintain a high quality network which customers will expect from Vodafone.”

Gowton Achaibar, Head of Region India, says: “We are extremely honoured to be chosen by Vodafone Essar for their 3G HSPA network deployment in India. The contract further strengthens Ericsson’s position as the leading mobile communications supplier in the Indian market and demonstrates yet again our long-term strategic partnership with Vodafone Essar. We are confident that our undisputed technology leadership and global experience will contribute to the rapid expansion of India’s mobile Broadband market.”

Under the agreement with Vodafone, Ericsson will provide supply the RAN system, network rollout services, tuning, spare parts and training services, along with the 3G common core platform and transmission over the coming months. The radio access network will include the latest multi-standard radio base station RBS 6000 and mobile soft-switching technology, which will drastically boost the capacity of the network and evolve it into an IP network. With such solutions, Ericsson will also help Vodafone to achieve their energy saving goals. The framework contract will be implemented through 2010 to 2012. Deliveries and deployment will soon begin.

Minkle, a mobile app development startup has launched their first flight booking app called Minkle Fly targetted at frequent flyers, business travelers. Minkle Fly is powered by Cleartrip i.e all the bookings are done through Cleartrip. Flight bookings are stored in app itself and beside flight booking user can cancel its flight booking from the app. Minkle Fly is integrated with  IVR payment gateway for safe and secure transaction

Minkle fly app is quite easy to use, its UI is refreshingly cool and highly intuitive. More than flight booking Mnkle fly enables user to book a radio cab to drop or receive you from the airport on booking a flight via Minkle Fly. Minkle fly also contains a feature built on top of Twitter called Minkle Airport which will encourage people to interact in the airport (Am i hearing dating )

Minkle fly app can be downloaded in a GPRS supported handset. User has to point to m.minkle.in in the phone browser to download the app. Minkle is one of “The Morpheus” portfolio company from batch 4 – 2010.

I personally liked the app, quite useful. But can it succeed in migrating users who book flight tickets from Cleartrip through their mobile phones without installing any app, Let’s wait and watch.

-Hitesh, vcBytes.com

US-based PE firms Sandstone Capital and Sequoia Capital have acquired a minority stake in Micromax Informatics Limited, an India-based provider of mobile phone solutions and wireless technologies for mobile users, for about INR2,000 million ($43.52 million), in a pre-IPO placement.

Sandstone and Sequoia have acquired less than 10% stake in Micromax. This is the second PE placement in Micromax after TA Associates acquired a minority stake of less than 20% in the company for Rs.225 crore in January this year.
For 2009-10, it posted revenues of Rs.1,600 Cr with a net profit of Rs.150 Cr.

Micromax leads a pack of domestic companies, which includes Karbonn Mobiles, Spice Mobiles, Videocon Industries and Lava International, that have made inroads into the Rs.30,000-crore mobile phone market traditionally dominated by multinationals such as Nokia, Samsung, LG and Motorola. The company is the largest domestic mobile handset company. It has expanded sales network in countries like Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

-Hitesh, vcBytes.com

MeraCareerGuide in partnership with Mospay has developed an mobile app called mInterview. mInterview is an interview centric application which you can download in an airtel phones . The interview application is designed in such a way that it would help the user to prepare for the interview. User can get tips in soft skills, technology related topics.

Airtel has selected mInterview as one of their best apps out of 70k apps in Airtel Appstore.

It’s a one-time download process and will cost you only Rs.25. Once it has been downloaded, you can use it any number of times to refer to the tips and steps to a successfulinterview. SMS app to 54321to receive the URL.

-Hitesh, vcBytes.com

Freecharge is recently launched web based service which lets users to recharge any prepaid mobile phones in India. Via Freecharge user can recharge currency upto Rs 1000 and minimum recharge value is Rs 10.  Freecharge is conceptualized and launched by a strategic marketing company called Accelyst which work with India’s top retail companies.

To promote the usage, Freecharge has tied up with retailers like McDonalds, Barista where upon recharging user gets a free coupon equaling the amount which can be redeemed in the respective retail outlets, truly an amazing strategic partnership. It gives notion to user that they getting recharge free of cost

Freecharge is seed funded by Tandon Group, members of the Mumbai Angels. Freecharge has already acquired a ‘patent pending’ status for their business model

The online prepaid recharge business currently contributes to less than 1% of the total prepaid recharge but given the volumes of the Indian telecom industry even this amount runs in over 100s of Crores. The working model of Freecharge seems to be a sure win-win for mobile operators, retailers and the users.

-Hitesh, vcBytes.com

Sony Ericsson is trying to lure frequent flyers and top executives to switch from Blackberry/iPhones by launching “Travel buddy” app powered by Yatra.com. Travel buddy will enable Sony Ercisson Xperia users  to book tickets anytime, anywhere.

User will be able to plan his travel well by searching the flights, pricing, seat selection, itinerary review and finally making a payment through a secured connection. Users can add upto 20 people name, 5 Credit Card details and can store the information , later user has a flexibility of choosing the Credit Card before making the payment. This really is a good feature with a quick turnaround time which is critical requirement for top executives.

While the application is pre-installed in the new Sony Ericsson mobile handsets,Yatra.com and Sony Ericsson are also offering an introductory discount of Rs 100 on every booking made through the Travel Buddy.

Its a good strategic partnership for Yatra who seems to be left behind in OTA business, this move will certainly help Yatra  to promote and sell domestic and international flight tickets to consumers using the Xperia family phones in India.

-Hitesh, vcBytes.com