Wednesday, December 2, 2009 at 02:19PM 
Introducing the proven place-based mobile marketing-advertising solution for your brand...
Based in Atlanta, Proximus Mobility is a location based proximity marketing software company that provides a turnkey, end-to-end solution to Digital Out-of-Home, ATM and Kiosk companies, ad networks, retailers, hotels and casinos, venues, advertising agencies and small to medium sized businesses. This solution offers relevant, high value digital content to consumers’ mobile phones near the point of influence or point of sale regardless of the phone type or carrier, with no app needed on the phone. Proximus Mobility enables brands to effectively reach and capture anonymous consumer data and track their customers in the out-of home environment, providing executive level reports and in-depth analytics on dwell times, traffic patterns an behavior profiles. These insights facilitate the advertiser to deliver customized and impactful content based on previous customer interactions and the consumer receives helpful and valuable location-based information and offers completing the value chain. For more information, visit www.proximusmobility.com.
Proximus Delivers FREE content to mobile phone users via Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth reaching ALL mobiles, including I-Phone and Blackberry.
Proximus The complete proximity marketing solution that lets YOU mange your campaigns with free real-time internet tools.
PROXIMUS can offer mobile users a wifi access point, allow for data collection (name and mobile number) before accessing the Wifi. The system includes a new HTML editor to create content in the campaign manager, enhanced reporting, and remote console for device trouble shooting.
Proximus Let’s you “see” all active mobiles within the place-based environment.
Shopping Malls
Movie Theaters/Stadiums/Events
Retail Stores
Rail Platforms
Any place where delivering FREE content to mobile users is desireable.
Proximus FREE content from your Proximus campaign can be anything that adds value to your brand…
Sales Incentive Coupons
Trailers and “How-To’s”
Schedules
Brand reinforcement material
Proximus Targets and keeps track of YOUR customer, and it’s all FREE to the mobile user.
Proximus The right solution whose time has come!
- All the vendors out there selling Bluetooth/Wifi proximity solutions have created custom hardware and no self service software platform to manage the units. With Proximus, YOU are in control.
- Pricing has been inconsistent and relatively expensive to brands and advertisers that want to try place-based mobile advertising. Proximus is simply priced.
- Mobile content consumption is now just hitting critical mass as the masses buy smart phones.
- Until Proximus, there has not been a viable solution to reach Blackberry and iPhone.
Proximus Offers solutions for these isues.
- The Proximus solution is built on open source hardware that uses a number of hardware manufacturers, keeping costs lower.
- Because our cost structure is low we can be extremely competitive and flexible on pricing.
- We believe our timing to market is optimal as consumers become accustomed to participating in mobile marketing.
- Because we offer FREE wifi and Bluetooth, we will work with all major handsets sold within the last 4 years.
- Our product can be managed by us or the client allowing for greater flexibility and productive campaigns.
- Venue and retail owners are looking for new avenues to bring clients into their locations as the current economic conditions have forced companies to re-think how they market to their customers.
Proximus works with I Phone
Proximus Helps you generate increased sales.
The Proximus solution helps companies to sell more products through an innovative framework for launching interactive mobile and Internet applications to the 2B mobile phone users worldwide. Proximity marketing is the localized wireless distribution of informative, advertiser-based content that can be associated with a particular place. Opt-in transmissions can be received by individuals in that location who wish to receive them on their mobile phones.
Distribution may be via a traditional localized broadcast, or more commonly is specifically targeted to devices known to be in a particular area. Traditional methods of Proximity Marketing include: Bluetooth, Cell Broadcast, GPS, and WiFi.
Proximus has developed, proven, and now operates a hardware and software based Mobile Application Platform that automates the process of creating and delivering mobile applications and marketing campaigns to mobile phone owners. Proximus has created a Wi-Fi/Bluetooth based Mobile, location based, offering which adds true location based services to the Proximus marketing platform. Proximus is the only company that offers an end to end managed or self-service web and mobile proximity based marketing solution.
Proximus works with Blackberry
Proximus Mobil Market Overview
Proximus-Enabled Mobile Phones USA
Proximus is a location based FREE download service for mobile phone users with smartphones (wi-fi-enabled and/or Bluetooth capability).
comScore Reports January 2011 U.S. Mobile Subscriber Market Share
comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released data from the comScore MobiLens service, reporting key trends in the U.S. mobile phone industry during the three month average period ending January 2011. The study surveyed more than 30,000 U.S. mobile subscribers and found Samsung to be the top handset manufacturer overall with 24.9 percent market share. Google Android took the lead among smartphone platforms with 31.2 percent market share, after two short months in second place.
OEM Market Share
For the three month average period ending in January, 234 million Americans ages 13 and older used mobile devices. Device manufacturer Samsung ranked as the top OEM with 24.9 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers, up 0.7 percentage points from the three month period ending in October. LG ranked second with 20.8 percent share, followed by Motorola (16.5 percent), RIM (8.6 percent) and Apple (7.0 percent).
| Top Mobile OEMs 3 Month Avg. Ending Jan. 2011 vs. 3 Month Avg. Ending Oct. 2010 Total U.S. Mobile Subscribers Ages 13+ Source: comScore MobiLens |
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| Share (%) of Mobile Subscribers | |||
| Oct-10 | Jan-11 | Point Change | |
| Total Mobile Subscribers | 100.0% | 100.0% | N/A |
| Samsung | 24.2% | 24.9% | 0.7 |
| LG | 21.0% | 20.8% | -0.2 |
| Motorola | 17.7% | 16.5% | -1.2 |
| RIM | 9.3% | 8.6% | -0.7 |
| Apple | 6.4% | 7.0% | 0.6 |
Smartphone Platform Market Share
65.8 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones during the three months ending in January 2011, up 8 percent from the preceding three-month period. Google Android captured the #1 ranking among smartphone platforms for the first time in January with 31.2 percent market share. RIM ranked second with 30.4 percent market share, followed by Apple with 24.7 percent. Microsoft (8.0 percent) and Palm (3.2 percent) rounded out the top five.
| Top Smartphone Platforms 3 Month Avg. Ending Jan. 2011 vs. 3 Month Avg. Ending Oct. 2010 Total U.S. Smartphone Subscribers Ages 13+ Source: comScore MobiLens |
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| Share (%) of Smartphone Subscribers | |||
| Oct-10 | Jan-11 | Point Change | |
| Total Smartphone Subscribers | 100.0% | 100.0% | N/A |
| 23.5% | 31.2% | 7.7 | |
| RIM | 35.8% | 30.4% | -5.4 |
| Apple | 24.6% | 24.7% | 0.1 |
| Microsoft | 9.7% | 8.0% | -1.7 |
| Palm | 3.9% | 3.2% | -0.7 |
Mobile Content Usage
In January, 68.1 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers used text messaging on their mobile device, while browsers were used by 37.0 percent of subscribers (up 0.8 percentage points). Subscribers who used downloaded applications comprised 35.3 percent of the mobile audience, representing an increase of 1.6 percentage points. Accessing of social networking sites or blogs increased 1.1 percentage points, representing 25.3 percent of mobile subscribers. Playing games represented 23.7 percent of the mobile audience, while listening to music represented 16.5 percent (up 1.1 percentage points).
| Mobile Content Usage 3 Month Avg. Ending Jan. 2011 vs. 3 Month Avg. Ending Oct. 2010 Total U.S. Mobile Subscribers Ages 13+ Source: comScore MobiLens |
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| Share (%) of Mobile Subscribers | |||
| Oct-10 | Jan-11 | Point Change | |
| Total Mobile Subscribers | 100.0% | 100.0% | N/A |
| Sent text message to another phone | 68.1% | 68.1% | 0.0 |
| Used browser | 36.2% | 37.0% | 0.8 |
| Used downloaded apps | 33.7% | 35.3% | 1.6 |
| Accessed social networking site or blog | 24.2% | 25.3% | 1.1 |
| Played Games | 23.7% | 23.7% | 0.0 |
| Listened to music on mobile phone | 15.4% | 16.5% | 1.1 |
comScore will present a complimentary webinar on the findings from its inaugural report, The 2010 Mobile Year in Review on Tuesday, March 15 at 1:00 p.m. EDT. To register for the webinar, please visit https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/867594321.
About comScore
comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) is a global leader in measuring the digital world and preferred source of digital business analytics. For more information, please visit www.comscore.com/companyinfo.
Read more: comScore Reports January 2011 U.S. Mobile Subscriber Market Share - FierceMobileContent http://www.fiercemobilecontent.com/press-releases/comscore-reports-january-2011-us-mobile-subscriber-market-share?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal#ixzz1G21T33Yg
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185M BlueTooth-enabled phones can pick up Proximus
BT has not really caught on in the USA, and it will continue to represent a small number of Proximus users. Just the same, BT offers a solution for simple FREE downloads that can reward interested mobile users, like younger kids, supermarket mothers, economically-challenged people, etc. Coupons, simple videos, etc. will work well for them, if there is the incentive to learn how to download.
NOTES:
Primary Users of Proximus:
Primary users of Proximus will be smart phone people. Young-Hip Teens and College-age smarties who go to movies, like fast-food, go to concerts, love sports bars, etc. and/or big-city Business-Oriented smarties who like new things and are killing lots of time in places like airports and commuter rail platforms. These are the people who use their phones for everything. Having the coolest phone is a necessary complement to their life-style.
Locations for Primary Users:
Movie Theaters, Malls, Rock Concerts, Sporting Events, Commuter Rail Platforms, Sports Bars, Clubs, Fast Food enterprises, Retail Chains, places where there can be significant dwell-time, with content availability that is of interest and value.
Examples:
Upscale Retail: Fashion Tips and corresponding in-store “bargans”.
Grand Central Station: Clips of Fall Season Network Shows.
Hi-End Supermarket: How-to Appetizers for Branded foods.
Electronics Retail: What’s Hot today.
Branded Event: Schedule of Activities.
Rock Concert: Music Clips and Interviews.
Sports Bar: Product Trial Incentives
Major Shopping Mall: Schedule of Events, Retail Opportunities that day.
Movie Theater: Branded Clips, Promo coupons.
Stadium: Branded team rosters and stats.
Campus: Branded Events of the Week.
OOH Street Furniture: Complementary Branded Downloads
Industry Overview
Wireless data revenues will continue to grow rapidly over the next few years. One of the key drivers in wireless data revenues will be the increase in the number of mobile applications being deployed. Today, mobile data revenues are driven primarily through email and SMS (Short Message Service). However, Proximus sees future demand being driven by the use of proximity-based technologies like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi because of their low costs. Also, the rise of location based applications for today’s smart phones will drive further adoption of mobile marketing services.
Proximus works with ALL mobile phones!
Proximus Real value for the mobile user.
The “out-and-about” consumer has become a key advertising target, as he is nearer to the physical point-of-sale opportunity that all brands dream of reaching. Historically, the consumer has been influenced solely by simple graphic signage, and point of sale display materials, a rather archaic and often downplayed form of advertising.
With the advent of animated digital displays and LCD screens, the Out of Home media world has had something new to crow about. Now, with the addition of Proximus to the place based environment, mobile users can download FREE content, store it on their device, and share and enjoy that content with friends …adding to increased purchasing incentive, and “good brand vibes”.
MyProximus Adding take-away value for the consumer.
With the addition of the MyProximus mobile phone app, (in development) mobile users can easily categorize, store, and call up, saved content. Here’s an example:
The mobile user is in the Mall. He has opted in to allow Proximus to reach his mobile device at key locations. While at a key location, like in front of an “Old Navy Store”, he can download the day’s in-store discount offers and special coupons. Next, he passes by the multiplex and downloads a trailer for a film he would like to see, next he passes the food court and downloads that weeks’ special KFC offers. At the end of his mall visit he uses his MyProximus app to categorize his “purchase options”….MyStuff, MyMovies, MyFastFood, MyThis, MyThat. Creating the MyProximus app will add great perceived value both to the mobile user and the Retailer, and the Mall, and the Out of Home media community. Basically all mobile phones download content to their message in-box. With the addition of the MyProximus app, the mobile device can access the message in-box and categorize all offers downloaded by Proximus. Down the road, MyProximus will be able to REMIND users of expiring offers as a further incentive to purchase.
Proximus works for everybody.
Proximus Can YOU be a prospect?
Proximus is creating a partner program targeting Out of Home Media companies, advertising agencies, point of sale software vendors, events management companies, shopping malls, retail chains, local communities, airports, hospitals, and other identified distribution channels. Over the past seven years the traditional out of home media companies including JC Decaux, CBS Outdoor, Titan World-wide, Clear Channel Outdoor, Zoom Media and major retail facilities have invested heavily in digital screens replacing static media locations with active digital video-based systems. Today, there are thousands of these screens in place. These electrified “network” systems are accessed via Internet connectivity allowing advertisers maximum flexibility to target customers with place-based messaging. With the addition of Proximus technology, out of home media companies can offer consumers fresh place-based content related to the advertiser’s brand. Offering an on the spot, additional call to action for increased purchasing incentive! Thus, the mobile phone can become an adjunct digital out of home media tool.
Furthermore, Proximus targets other mobile marketing software companies as integration (OEM) partners to offer the Proximus solution to round out their mobile offerings.
You can learn a lot more about Proximus by contacting patricknagle@yahoo.com
Proximus Brings YOUR brand to a mobile user here:
Shopping Malls Daily Updates on “Be There” Good Deals and Events at the Mall.
Retail Stores “Come on In” Incentives, “How To’s”, Games
Food Courts Coupons for Meal Specials, Contests
Multiplex Theaters Movie Trailers, Schedules, Coupons for Concessions
City Streets Branded Billboards, Street Info
City Metros OOH Media-Related Offers..Above AND Below Ground!
Sports Bars Brand Incentives to “Try Something New”, Contests
Rock Concerts Music Downloads, Contests, Schedules
Hotel Lobbies Info, Schedules, Security
Supermarkets Recipies, Coupons, “How To’s”
Doctor's Waiting Rooms Info, Brand Supported Health News
Airport Terminals Flight Updates, Brand Offerings at Shops, Travel Guides
Trade Fairs Download Brochures and Product Information
Proximus Management
David Rippetoe (Founding Partner and CEO)
David Rippetoe is an Entrepreneur with several years of experience developing applications and developing sales in Mobile technology. With over 10 years in the mobile software industry, David is recognized as an industry leader in Mobile Marketing and has been involved in two MMA Award winning campaigns for Adidas.
He co-founded MOVO Mobile and sold it to Neighborhood America. David helped start Boomerang Mobile Media which is one of the first companies to demonstrate on premise mobile commerce. Prior to Boomerang, David was a consultant for several independent software companies specializing in mobilizing large enterprises. Also, David led Business Development for Retrieval Dynamics, a wireless software solutions company. While at RDC, David secured partnerships and alliances with all the major wireless carriers and handset manufacturers. Furthermore, he developed and managed the product life cycles of two award winning mobile software applications. Mr. Rippetoe received his BA degree in Education from the University of Kentucky-Lexington and earned an MBA from Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Michael Zeto (Founding Partner and COO)
Michael has 13 years of professional Direct Sales, Business Development and Marketing experience. His responsibility has been primarily on driving revenue organically with a focus on forecasting, profitability and quota attainment. He has in depth experience in entrepreneurial start up environments that are fast paced, high pressure and in extremely competitive markets where he has performed multiple roles and task in addition to Sales, Business Development and Marketing such as operations, hiring, compliance and P&L responsibilities. Michael has developed an expertise in helping organizations find the business value and ROI leveraging strategic enterprise mobile and technology solutions while managing multiple people and resources.
Most recently, in a Director of Business Development role with a leading Social Media Software and Mobile Marketing Platform and Services provider servicing the fortune 1000 and the largest Marketing, PR and Advertising Services agencies globally. Also performed a management role leading and mentoring the inside sales team with a focus on lead and revenue generation.
Also, currently investor and managing partner of an operation with 65 employees generating 3 million in revenue and oversaw the initial management and investment of the 1.6 m raise. He acts as the CEO in overseeing the management of all marketing, operations, accounting, and financial aspect of the business along with ultimate P&L responsibility.
Mr. Zeto received his undergraduate degree in Organizational Communications from Wilkes University in Wilkes Bare, PA and earned his Executive MBA from Florida Gulf Coast University in Ft. Myers, FL
Tyler Pitchford (Founding partner and CTO)
Tyler, born into a family of computer programmers, started programming when he was eight (8) years old. He began his professional career at the age 15 with the formation of his first company Tripnosis.com -- a file sharing network. During a break from his undergraduate studies, Tyler worked as the Head of Research and Development for All Video Network, Inc. His work focused on architectural designs for streaming media solutions, live video and radio broadcasts utilizing the Microsoft's media framework. Microsoft, in acknowledgment of Tyler's accomplishments in the field of streaming media, recognized Tyler as a Microsoft Media Solutions Provider. Eventually leaving AVN, Inc. to continue his studies, Tyler received his degree in Software Architecture from the State of Florida's honors college, the New College of Florida. Beyond software design, Tyler researched heavily in the field of artificial intelligence with the culmination of his work resulting in an honor's thesis focusing on object oriented architectures for neural networks.
Post-college, Tyler continued his software career as a consultant and senior architect for several companies. Much of his spare time was spent working on peer-to-peer technologies, which eventually lead to him founding the Azureus BitTorrent project. With over 1.2 million users worldwide and well over 100 million downloads Azureus is arguably one of the most successful open source projects ever developed. After completion of Azureus version 2.0 Tyler received a full merit scholarship to law school. While attending the Stetson University College of Law, Tyler interned for Pilgrim Software, Inc. of Tampa as an in- house counsel intern, for the Florida State Attorney's office as a juvenile prosecution intern, and for the Honorable Federal Magistrate Judge Monte C. Richardson as a judicial intern. Finishing his Studies in the Fall of 2007, Tyler graduated in the top 10% of his class receiving his J.D. cum laude. After successfully completing the Florida bar exam, Tyler accepted the position of CTO with Digome.
Patrick Nagle (Founding Partner and CMO)
Patrick Nagle, is an American designer, writer, producer-director with a long history of business achievements in the marketing world initially as a New York City-based agency owner/creative marketing specialist and currently as an international consultant and business owner based in both Europe and the United States.
Nagle is Chairman and Secretary of Paris-based Planet Group Entertainment, a television/film production and distribution company founded in the early 90’s in association with Reuters Television, London. PGE, registered in the republic of Ireland, owns and licenses a library of filmed content of over 1000 hours and annually produces three or four films primarily for world-wide TV distribution.
Nagle founded Patrick Nagle Inc.; a New York City based marketing and advertising consulting company in the early 70’s. Over a 20 year period, the company developed trade and consumer advertising and marketing promotional campaigns, including three dimensional exhibits/merchandising display programs, theatrical presentations/event launches, audio visuals and films for scores of blue-chip companies. Among the firm’s most successful relationships were those formed with major agencies including Hill&Knowlton and Burson-Marsteller, where the Nagle team would be called to consult with and develop solutions for clients including G.E., Dupont, IBM, ATT, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Merrill Lynch, Johnson & Johnson, Wool Bureau, Clairol, Gillette, P&G, United Way, Bic, Governments of Spain, Mexico, and Greece. Most successfully, the Nagle team created “The Factory of the Future” in association with Accenture (formerly Andersen Consulting), a world-touring manufacturing technology exposition that featured ground breaking ‘just-in-time’ technologies. On the consumer side, Nagle Inc. was one of the first marketing groups to create and stage national tours of shopping mall events featuring new products, demos and promotions, putting consumers more in touch with sponsoring brands.
Prior to starting his company, Nagle worked as a free-lance designer in New York while attending New York University’s Stern School of Business (MBA ’69). He received a BS Degree in Design from the University of Cincinnati in ’67.
Dan Miller (Chairman/Advisor)
Prior to starting Movo Mobile, Dan was founder and President of PlanetResume.com. PlanetResume.com was an early pioneer within the on-line recruiting industry. Dan successfully completed the sale of PlanetResume.com to CareerShop.com in October 1999, and the sale of CareerShop.com to Personnel Group of America (NYSE:PGA).
Prior to founding PlanetResume.com, Dan was a Principal and Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing of Software House, Inc., a leading provider of facility access control security systems sold worldwide to Fortune 500 and governmental customers. In the summer of 1994, Dan consummated the sale of Software House to Sensormatic Corp. (NYSE:SRM).
Proximus Market Analysis and Opportunity
Proximus’s opportunity is being driven by three major trends. The first trend is the transformation of the mobile phone into the premier consumer device to access information and applications[1]. The second trend is the increasing use of mobile phones to send and receive messages (SMS and email)[2]. The third trend is the rise of location based services through GPS, Bluetooth and other ways for advertisers to determine consumer’s locations.
It is estimated that there are 265 million mobile phone users (CTIA) in the United States or roughly 86% (CTIA) of the US population (3.1 billion globally). 240 million are text enabled handsets while 65 million are text and web enabled phones. 68.7 million are already text users. 79% send text messages on their phone, 50% of user’s access email on their mobile device and 52% access the web. (Azuki Systems) 89% of major brands plan to market via mobile phones by early 2009. 40% of major brands have deployed text messaging campaigns and 18% of brands have deployed multimedia messaging (MMS) campaigns. We believe that these statistics point to the fact that major brands will continue to increase their use of mobile outreach as one of the primary means to engage with customers. Global mobile advertising and marketing will be valued at 16 billion by 2011.
Global shipments of Wi-Fi enabled cell phones are expected to double between 2009 and 2011, at least partially due to the emergence of a slew of Smartphone’s with Wi-Fi capabilities, according to an analyst at ABI Research in New York. Analyst Michael Morgan said he expects about 300 million handsets that provide dual wireless capability for cellular and Wi-Fi to ship during 2011, up from about 144 million expected to ship this year.
Morgan added that he expects about 85 million Wi-Fi capable Smartphone’s to ship globally this year -- of 170 million total smart phones. The Wi-Fi capable smart phones include Apple Inc.'s iPhone and other popular offerings. Morgan noted that the number of smart phones shipped is expected to grow by about 20% each year for the next several years, and predicted that fully 90% will have Wi-Fi capability by 2014.
Mobile marketing has become somewhat commoditized with SMS and WAP application service providers. Proximus plans to take a unique role in the mobile ecosystem by focusing on proximity or location based marketing. By integrating these key technologies into one cohesive platform, Proximus will be the one stop shop for SMS marketing, and mobile applications with the unique ability to provide rich high value marketing to people in a specific location. In addition to high costs, it is currently difficult for businesses to launch mobile applications that require complex (but critical) features including SMS over short codes, Location Services, Bluetooth, database connectivity and integration with all mobile phone carrier companies.
Currently Proximity marketing is leveraged with use of GPS, LBS (Location Based Services), Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology. Seventy five percent of phones are now Bluetooth enabled. Mobile phones usually have Bluetooth switched ON by default, and a majority of users now leave Bluetooth switched on for easy connection with car kits and headsets. Yet the range of influence varies from only 75 ft to 300 ft depending on the Bluetooth radio in the appliance and phone. Certain phones, Blackberry’s and Iphones do not support the Bluetooth file transfer protocol (OBEX), but they do support WiFi. By leveraging an integrated SMS, Mobile Application with GPS, WiFi, and Bluetooth the Proximus solution offers increased reachability and functionality to the consumer compared to the other offerings currently marketed.
The ProximusPlug. About the size of a paperback book!
Proximus Products and Services
Proximus has developed a robust open standards based hardware and software mobile marketing platform to tie Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, SMS, MMS, and Application development into one unified interface. Proximus has begun selling Bluetooth units and SMS Marketing campaigns. This provides immediate revenue to the company through established mobile marketing relationships.
The Proximus unit utilizes Linux an open source operating system used by large organizations worldwide. Proximus purchases plug PC units directly from the manufacturer and has created the software to use Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to detect mobile phones, offer an opt-in invitation, and push relevant content in a specific location to the mobile user via the plug PC. The Company developed a robust campaign management application for Bluetooth tracking and content distribution, mobile web, and automated SMS messaging based on a specific location. Furthermore, all transactions and activity is logged for real-time reporting on usage and campaign statistics.
Proximus complies with the Mobile Marketing Association’s best practices by encouraging advertisers and customers to get their consumers to opt-in through a displayed call to action.
Furthermore, Proximus is developing a cross platform, on-device mobile application, that enables consumers to store coupons and special offers based on preferences and location. By having an application on the mobile phone, Proximus is able to provide the user with feature rich content that can be updated dynamically and remotely through the platform, collect data from the user, and report, and facilitate mobile commerce.
As part of its primary business model to sell and integrate mobile applications, Proximus is unifying the disparate functions of other industry offerings as a single platform, and to operate as a Saas (Software as a Service) based proximity-marketing platform. Unlike the competitive offerings, the product is turnkey and productized in separate modular offerings that allow for easy distribution and volume sales packages.
Proximus Competition
The competitive landscape today is comprised of two types of companies. The first type of competitor includes companies that focus on providing an SMS and WAP platform for white label and mobile marketing agencies. The second type of competitor includes companies offering proximity marketing via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS. We believe both solutions to be inferior to the Proximus solution. The closest competitor identified is Acuity Mobile, which was recently acquired by Navteq (Nokia owned subsidiary). Acuity uses a hardware/software based Wi-Fi box as a location method to deploy their proximity marketing application. Futurlink, a Spanish company, also offers a robust hardware and software solution that supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Futurlink’s solution is very expensive in comparison and only sold through third party dealers.
[1] Worldwide, the number of cell phone subscribers is growing again after several years of slower growth. By 2009, the worldwide wireless market will grow to more than 2.3 billion subscribers.
[2] An international rage - text messaging - is catching on in the USA. According to CTIA-The Wireless Association, text messages in the U.S. are up from 2.8 billion a year ago to 5 billion text messages sent a month in 2005.