By Monica Alleven
Friday, February 22, 2008
Given the fickle nature of social networkers, it would seem one's best strategy for staying alive is to diversify among many.
That's what Intercasting is doing. OK, its business model would seem to demand that it do just so. The company, which has a system that puts social sites all in one spot on a handset, has struck more deals with social networks.
Last week, Intercasting announced a partnership with Bebo to allow Bebo's 40 million-plus members to produce and share content on their mobile phones. Intercasting also said it was working with Loop Mobile Limited to make the mobile community MOKO available to Anthem mobile operators.
This week, Intercasting added Xanga, dubbed the most visited social network in Hong Kong, and CSL, Hong Kong's largest mobile operator, to its roster.
As you might imagine, the latest deals are exciting for Intercasting. What's unique about the MOKO community is it's mobile from the get-go, rather than being an Internet destination going over to mobile. It is using Anthem to expand its mobile distribution, notes Sean Kane, general manager/International at Intercasting.
Bebo is one of the core social networks that carriers request from Anthem. "We've had many, many calls from Anthem carriers asking when they can get Bebo up and running," Kane says.
Some social networks are stronger in some countries than others, but what Intercasting is finding is while each social network has its core or core markets, they can each grow into additional markets and expand many times over. Bebo, for example, is growing in Canada and the United States from a strong position in the United Kingdom.
Anthem partners include Sprint Nextel, Virgin Mobile, Boost Mobile, 3 UK, Bebo, MOKO, MTV TR3S, LiveJournal, Piczo, Vox, Rabble, Xanga and Community Connect.