HONG KONG — Hong Kong based Artificial Life, Inc. (OTCBB:ALIF), a leading provider of award-winning mobile 3G technology and applications, announced today that it has acquired the SMS Galaxy system from Swiss-based Script Avenue AG (formerly Blackpencil AG) in a cash and equity transaction. Script Avenue is owned by Claude Cueni, a bestselling Swiss author of many TV thrillers, who is a successful entrepreneur and pioneer in interactive and online games, and has been an inventor of interactive TV formats since 1991.

SMS Galaxy is a revolutionary mobile interface used to complement live TV shows. Users can interact with a live TV show and control the movements and actions of 3D avatars representing themselves on the TV screen by simply sending SMS messages to a designated number. The system is very successful in Switzerland and has been in practical use there for four seasons in a daily show format that has achieved the highest viewer ratings.

“SMS Galaxy is a fantastic system. Its success speaks for itself. We decided to buy SMS Galaxy because of its proven success and our ability to further enhance it with more interactive and intelligent functions. The system fits perfectly into our strategy to become the number one player for mobile interactive TV formats and TV show based mobile entertainment and games. I am especially pleased and honored to be able to work closely with Claude Cueni on further improving the SMS Galaxy and he has now also joined our corporate advisory board,” said Eberhard Schoneburg, CEO of Artificial Life, Inc.

“It is a great honor to work with Artificial Life. They are the leaders in the 3G mobile space, especially for interactive movie and TV formats. This is a big opportunity for all of us and our goal is to roll out an enhanced version of SMS Galaxy in as many countries as possible and as soon as possible,” said Claude Cueni, Chairman of Script Avenue AG.

Source:Prime Newswire

Monty Mobile signed an agreement with Sabafon, one of the most important mobile operators in the Middle East to provide its MMS hubbing expertise. Monty Mobile will thus help Sabafon expand its MMS coverage to include networks in many new countries with just one signature.

At present there are more than 650 mobile operators around the world. Due to costly and time consuming bilateral agreements, all operators do not have bilateral agreements with each other, which are limiting the subscribers’ ability to get connected worldwide.

Our MMS/SMS gateway is the vital requirement for mobile operators to cover extended international messaging and benefiting from uncovered destinations while gaining competitive advantage.

Monty Mobile being a unique MMS aggregator and an associate member of the GSM association, provides state-of-the-art MMS and SMS Interworking service supporting the most recently developed technologies and standards. Through its service, mainly based in the Middle East and North Africa, Monty Mobile enables subscribers of GSM operators to send and receive MMS/SMS messages in their home network and those of foreign operators who are interconnected to it. Monty Mobile is a leader in its domain due to its dedication to provide quality and cost effective services. Our blend of highly skilled employees and experienced technicians facilitate our time-to-market strategy which is providing clients with incomparable service, and this is our key to success.

Source:idp Group

Vodafone will partner with Internet giants Google and Yahoo to launch a suite of ad-supported mobile services in mid-2007. The operator is currently in negotiations with an unnamed soft drink producer and an automaker to develop a pan-European platform for direct mobile advertising–Vodafone is also trialing ad-funded mobile web services and games in Italy, Germany, South Korea and the UK. 

Source:Fierce Mobile Content

According to a recent report from Informa Telecoms and Media, visitors to Germany attending the World Cup will spend a combined total of €36.5 million on roaming fees for mobile calls, text and video messages. The metric breaks down easy enough: Informa predicts there will be more than 1 million football fans attending the World Cup and they estimate each person will spend an average of €36.5 on roaming charges during their stay. A typical visitor will probably make 10 voice calls, send eight text messages, generate a single data session, send one video message and receive about six calls during their visit. The €36.5 million figure may even rival the expected “tens of millions of dollars” the FIFA World Cup will bring in from mobile video broadcasts and clips in 100 markets worldwide.

Source:Fierce Mobile Content

IM will gradually take over from SMS in the next five years in Europe,” according to Ovum Analyst John Delaney. This prediction assumes some level of cooperation from operators, but the IM will continue to gain market share with or without their help. Operators are supportive of mobile IM in developing countries where Internet-connected PCs are not readily available but are wary of IM cutting into the lucrative SMS market in Europe and the Americas. Earlier this month it was revealed that T-Mobile prohibits users of its 3G laptop card from accessing VoIP or IM services. This is clearly an unsustainable practice. This is a mistake; operators should embrace mobile IM. This way operators can configure the IM network to ensure that they are always a part of the revenue stream.

Source:Fierce Mobile Content

Boston-based startup 80108 Media launched a free SMS-based messaging service promising timely missives targeted to 18-to-34-year-old mobile consumers in 15 urban U.S. areas. Subscribers who opt in to the service by signing up at 80108.com will receive text messages announcing upcoming events in content categories including local music, fashion and sports–according to 80108 Media, it will transmit roughly three messages per week per category, each written by “mobile correspondents” touted as insider experts on their particular area of reporting.

According to The Boston Globe, 80108 Media has already raised $12 million in venture funding. “What we’re looking to do is not to fill, but really to create a service by and for this generation of mobile users who are very active socially, who tend to be out and about quite a bit,” co-founder and CEO Rob Adler told the newspaper. “As much time as they spend online, they spend a lot of time offline–but they’re always on their mobile.”

Source:Fierce Mobile Content

Just in time for the start of the Stanley Cup playoffs, mobile search platform developer AskMeNow announced a partnership with the National Hockey League to launch a mobile service enabling puckheads to send and receive text messages spotlighting NHL scores, statistics, schedules and trivia. According to AskMeNow, NHL fans send their text queries to ASKME and receive an answer within seconds–hockey fans will also enjoy access to the full suite of AskMeNow services, including 411, weather, directions and news information.

“By offering AskMeNow to millions of hockey fans, the NHL is leading the way in fan interactivity,” AskMeNow CEO Darryl Cohen said in a prepared statement. “By partnering with organizations with large fan bases such as the NHL, AskMeNow is able to sign-up an audience hungry for the types of relevant sports scores, stats and trivia that AskMeNow was built to deliver.”

Source:Fierce Mobile Content

Boston-based startup 80108 Media launched a free SMS-based messaging service promising timely missives targeted to 18-to-34-year-old mobile consumers in 15 urban U.S. areas. Subscribers who opt in to the service by signing up at 80108.com will receive text messages announcing upcoming events in content categories including local music, fashion and sports–according to 80108 Media, it will transmit roughly three messages per week per category, each written by “mobile correspondents” touted as insider experts on their particular area of reporting. According to The Boston Globe, 80108 Media has already raised $12 million in venture funding. “What we’re looking to do is not to fill, but really to create a service by and for this generation of mobile users who are very active socially, who tend to be out and about quite a bit,” co-founder and CEO Rob Adler told the newspaper. “As much time as they spend online, they spend a lot of time offline–but they’re always on their mobile.”

Source:Fiercemobilecontent