As announced on 29 September and 24 November, a major Latin American operator group has mandated that device manufacturers certify their products with Synchronica's IM infrastructure to safeguard their market position by pre-installing the Synchronica IM client in order to provide a best of breed carrier branded IM service.
This is the third order that Synchronica has obtained from a top 10 device manufacturer as a consequence of these device certification requirements.
Furthermore, Synchronica expects to receive additional orders from other device manufacturers that wish to sell their devices to the operator, and repeat orders as device manufacturers launch new models of their handsets.
As a result of the device certification process and pre-installation of IMPS clients, Synchronica also expects to see an increase in the uptake of its IM service by the carrier's subscribers, which ultimately translates into increased revenues for Synchronica.
Globally, operators are facing a growing threat from premium device manufacturers who are increasingly marketing device-specific services as a means of establishing direct relationships with end users. This controversial strategy is increasingly resisted by operators as it clearly dilutes their competitive positioning with the consumer.