core sector communique

Vserv.mobi AppWrapper extends One Click App Monetization capabilities to Paid Models

Signs up Vodafone, Jump Games and other mobile developers for comprehensive App monetization

India, July 9, 2012 : Vserv.mobi, a leading Global Mobile Ad network for app developers, publishers and advertisers today announced introduction of powerful new App monetization functionalities to its flagship AppWrapper platform. Since the company’s inception, it’s unique One Click App Monetization platform called the AppWrapper, has enabled premium advertising based monetization for over 10,000 Apps. In its enhanced version, the AppWrapper platform enables innovative Paid Monetization models in the same unique One Click approach. This makes Vserv.mobi the first and only company, to offer comprehensive App monetization in One Click, across both – micro transaction based paid models and premium advertising based monetization, to create a compelling App monetization approach for developers.

The new paid monetization capabilities enabled by the AppWrapper include innovative pricing models such as Try & Buy, Pay per Play and Subscriptions – all enabled in One Click, without any coding effort. In line with its approach of offering developers simplicity & choice, the AppWrapper platform will allow developers to connect into any billing mechanism - be it direct telco billing from mobile operators like Vodafone or App Stores like Nokia and Android Market.

Such micro transaction based pricing models are ideal for targeting the vast majority of prepaid mobile users in emerging markets, and the Vserv AppWrapper allows developers to enable it, in parallel with advertising based monetization, to maximize their revenue.

Highlights of the new paid monetization models enabled by Vserv.mobi AppWrapper -

● Try & Buy - This option enables developers to offer free trial sessions to the user, thus allowing the user to experience the app before paying for it. Developers can configure the number of trial sessions and also enable ads during such trial sessions. It will allow developers who have a paid app, to convert it into a Try & Buy version in One Click without any coding.

● Pay per Play - This micro charging approach allows developers to charge users per session of the app, instead of purchasing the full app. It is similar to the innovative “sachet pricing” approach FMCG companies have embraced in emerging markets. By lowering the entry barrier, users easily participate in such a model and developers can subsequently achieve scale of revenues.

● Micro Subscriptions - Through this offering, developers can enable daily / weekly / monthly access to Apps thus allowing ongoing revenue. The AppWrapper checks users 'subscription status' in real time and allows access to the app only if the user is currently 'active' on the subscription.

Dippak Khurana, Co-Founder and CEO, Vserv.mobi said “Our approach has been centered on building innovative mobile technologies by leveraging our solid understanding of emerging markets and mapping it to the monetisation challenges of developers in these regions. While free apps are all the rage in emerging markets, we envisioned a lucrative monetisation opportunity for developers using a combination of paid & free models in parallel. This has been the core premise of extending AppWrapper’s capabilities to include powerful paid services as well. Developers can now have best of both worlds through the AppWrapper and comprehensively monetize their apps to maximize revenues from both free and paid approaches in parallel. We will continue to integrate multiple billing pipes across the world so that developers get a seamless One Click App Monetisation experience.”

Validating the innovative approach, Jonathan Bill, SVP, Business Development and Innovation, Vodafone India commented, “AppWrapper is a first-of-its-kind platform that enables free and paid App monetisation models, across both smart phones and feature phones without any coding effort. We believe that this will reinvigorate the mobile internet ecosystem by allowing developers to accelerate their monetisation efforts and trigger innovation.”

Vserv.mobi has already signed up with a range of customers for AppWrapper’s new comprehensive approach for App monetisation, including Vodafone, Nazara, Indiagames, Jump Games, amongst others globally.

Vodafone, India’s leading mobile operator, will use the unique AppWrapper platform to power app monetisation on VStore - its app store that provides Vodafone users with vast choice of apps across all devices. Developers targeting distribution through the VStore will be able to use the AppWrapper to monetise their apps via advertising and paid models seamlessly.

AppWrapper has delivered powerful advertising based monetization over the last 2 years for Jump Games, a premier mobile gaming, content & app developer and publisher. The company has now signed up to use the enhanced paid monetization functionalities of the AppWrapper to drive greater revenues. “We expect to optimize our revenues using AppWrapper’s new services for our premium catalog which includes games like Ben10, Chhota Bheem , Real Steel and more.” said Chaitanya Prabhu, Business Head - India, Jump Games Pvt. Ltd.

Nazara, a leading mobile entertainment company and a strong advocate of AppWrapper technology is currently using its new subscription capabilities to power the Games Club subscription service on multiple operators across emerging markets.

AppWrapper has also contributed to the success of Twist Mobile, a top gaming company from India which recently crossed 50 million downloads on Nokia Ovi store globally. Virat Khutal, CEO, Twist Mobile is excited about the new possibilities created by the AppWrapper and commented - “The AppWrapper has delivered powerful ad monetization for us globally. We now look forward to the same One Click simplicity for enabling both - paid monetisation models, as well as the current advertising based approach, in combination. This innovative approach will create new revenue streams for us allowing us to maximize our app monetisation. Recently, the industry witnessed many encouraging developments such as Vodafone offering 70% revenue share to developers on their off-deck billing and Nokia Store enabling operator billing from Vodafone and Airtel. In the wake of such announcements, the application market is all set for explosive growth and AppWrapper will allow developers like us to leverage these opportunities to maximise our monetisation efforts in a simple yet powerful manner.”

Vserv is now ramping up partnerships with developers, content providers and mobile operators across emerging markets and accepting signups at http://vserv.mobi/dev for the new comprehensive App Monetization version of the AppWrapper.

For a developer, it is always a difficult decision between choosing their app to be offered for free or as a paid download, since changing from one model to another always has significant cost & coding effort barriers. The Vserv AppWrapper with its combination of both, paid & free models running in parallel, eliminates the dilemma and maximizes App monetization. It's One Click approach to comprehensive monetization offers tremendous flexibility in go-to-market and has helps developers, content providers ramp up very quickly across geographies.

About Vserv.mobi:

Vserv.mobi is a leading Global Mobile Ad Network with strong presence in emerging markets. Vserv's pioneering technology AppWrapper powers One Click App Monetisation for 10000+ Apps across Android, WP7 & J2ME platforms. AppWrapper is the World’s Simplest App Monetization - it enables premium advertising & innovative pricing models on any app, without coding, in just one click. Vserv is the only Ad Network with App media across feature phones, smart phones and tablets, thus providing advertisers unparalleled reach and engagement. Built on superior technology, the Vserv Marketplace delivers exceptional ROI to advertisers as well as enhanced earnings to developers & publishers.