WORLD’S LARGEST MOBILE ENTERTAIMENT PLAYER AND ISRAELI TECHNOLOGY TEAM UP
TO CREATE A FAST TRACK TO MOBILE INTERNET’S MOST INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS:
BUONGIORNO SIGNS COOPERATION AGREEMENT WITH ISRAEL MOBILE ASSOCIATION (IMA)
According to the agreement, the IMA will give Buongiorno fast access to Israeli technological innovation in the mobile sphere,
while Buongiorno will introduce IMA’s portfolio companies to a potential +120 telecom operators it currently serves.
MWC2010, Barcelona – 16th February, 2010 - Buongiorno (Italy, MTA STAR:BNG), the world’s leader in mobile entertainment, has signed a cooperation agreement with the IMA,
Israel’s Mobile & Communications Association.
This cooperation agreement awards Israeli start ups and mature technology companies operating in the communications and mobile sectors an unprecedented advantage.
According to the agreement, the IMA – a non-profit organization representing over 100 Israeli member companies, enhancing their business development, marketing and time-to-market capabilities – will constitute Buongiorno’s innovation scouting arm in Israel.
As widely recognized, Buongiorno also regards Israel as a technological innovation leader in the mobile, communications and media sectors.
In addition, the agreement will pursue the following actions, where market conditions will apply:
· Buongiorno will introduce IMA’s portfolio companies to business and project opportunities and to global mobile operators.
· Buongiorno will enjoy early access to innovative products and applications developed by Israeli companies, and tested in IMA’s Innovation Lab. The Lab was established in cooperation with Partner Communications (NASDAQ:PTNR) and is financed by the Israel Government’s Chief Scientist.
“Our cooperation with the IMA began about a year ago. During this time, we became acquainted with interesting and original technological products from Israel and began testing and assimilation processes with some of the companies. The agreement signed this morning represents a direct and natural continuation to this cooperation,” said Andrea Casalini, CEO of Bunogiorno. “As world leaders in mobile entertainment , we are at the forefront of the Mobile Consumption. We see great potential for technological innovations coming out of Israel, and the IMA is the right partner to help us hand-pick the right technologies and accelerate deals complying with the highest global standards.” Eyal Reshef, CEO and Founder of IMA, said: “This cooperation exposes our member companies to Buongiorno’s huge market: 200 million unique mobile numbers served (at least once in ’08) out of 2bn SIM cards reachable and of +130 telecom served
The agreement further validates Israel’s technological innovativeness and global leadership in this field. The mobile content market is expected to grow to US$50 billion in the upcoming year, and include 840 million consumers. We believe that this agreement will shorten Israeli products’ time to market cycles. Among the products reviewed by Buongiorno’s executives in the past year were: location-based information services, mobile social networks, mobile advertising, music applications and triple screen services.
About Buongiorno Group
Buongiorno (Italy, MTA STAR: BNG) is the multinational leader in mobile entertainment. The Company counts on an unparalleled international presence with 24 offices and business in 57 countries in 5 continents, direct connections with +130 telcos and access to over 2 billion mobile customers. Buongiorno is market leader in Europe and is one of the top 3 players in 8 of the world's most important geographies. Buongiorno is also present in Russia and Pacific Asia (India, Vietnam and Philippines) through the Joint Venture with the Japanese group Mitsui & Co., Ltd.. The Company operates with two business lines: mobile content distributed directly - through its brand BlinkoGold for Mobile Content services and through its Mobile Social Networking brand Peoplesound - as well as through partnerships with leading telcos and media groups (Consumer Services) - and digital marketing services referred to as sponsored content (Buongiorno!Digital).
For more information, please visit http://www.buongiorno.com/index.html.
About the IMA
IMA (Israel Mobile & Communication Association) is a non-profit organization representing over 100 Israeli member companies, enhancing their business development, marketing and time-to-market capabilities. The IMA has developed a network of connections with over 150 mobile operators, content and media companies as well as with global equipment providers, integrators, investors and leading venture capital funds around the world. The IMA operates via a network of cooperation agreements, which strengthen the competitive advantage of the Israeli communications industry. The IMA offers its members access to over 30 content providers, equipment manufacturers and integrators around the world, which enable IMA’s portfolio companies to take part in large scale projects and tenders, offering local support in 15 countries worldwide. For more information, please visit www.imaworld.org.
