mBlox
Based: Sunnyvale, CA
Founded: 1999
www.mblox.com
Why It's Fierce: In an industry fixated on multimedia and mobile TV, SMS certainly very cool, but it still accounts for the bulk of data ARPU for many operators around the world. mBlox has become a dominant player in premium messaging, processing more than $500 million worth of transactions every year for leading content providers and global brands. The company, which grew from a slew of acquisitions, now has billing capabilities reaching more than 400 million mobile subscribers worldwide. And premium SMS, though limited in its technology capabilities, hasn't peaked yet. U.S. operators are allowing third-party content players to directly market to their customers using short codes and reverse-billed premium SMS, while Europe is piling on more services customers can purchase via SMS. mBlox is well aware that its experience with SMS billing is a springboard to a host of other lucrative mobile transactions. It recently partnered with mobile content enabler Bango to enable mobile users to purchase content from portals even though the underlying billing mechanism is premium SMS. mBlox and New-Visions are launching the first off-portal music track download services where consumers pay one price to download music with no additional operator data charges.
What to look for: Following a recent $25 million infusion of VC money, look for mBlox to commence a rapid expansion into Europe and Asia with new products and solutions.
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