IMImobile to set up 3G lab in Mauritius

Hyderabad-based IMImobile, an end-to-end enabler of mobile value-added services (VAS), is setting up a 3G lab in Mauritius.

Also, the company has bagged a sublicense for distributing the official 2006 FIFA World Cup theme music to mobile operators in 25 countries.

Speaking to Business Standard, Bibhu Kumar, vice-president (marketing and sales), IMImobile, said, "We are opening a 3G lab in partnership with Emtel, a Mauritius-based mobile telephony operator."

The 3G lab will typically help mobile operators in Mauritius to roll out value-added services for the third generation of mobile wireless communications.

The lab will, therefore, develop technology that will enable video chat, video mail, video ringtones and the likes. According to Kumar, the 3G lab is likely to be operational within this quarter.

IMImobile will distribute the official theme music of the FIFA World Cup as ringtones or caller ring back tones to mobile operators in 25 countries ranging from India and Sri Lanka to the Middle East and African countries.

"We garner 70 per cent of our revenues from India and 30 per cent from overseas," Kumar said. Some of IMImobile's overseas clients include Telemovil in El Salvador, Starcomms in Nigeria and Singtel in Singapore.

The company employs 225 people in India and is looking at ramping up the headcount to 500 by December 2007. It is actively looking for a new facility to expand its operations.

It plans to set up a centre of excellence for its R&D work in the city. An investment of around $5 million has been outlined for the centre and the international expansion and marketing activities this year.

Though Kumar declined to divulge the revenues of the company, he added that they were looking at a four-fold growth this year. "This is because we have already booked business worth 60 per cent of our revenues for this year," Kumar said.