Business Standard Launches Instant Messenger - BS Buddy

Financial daily Business Standard has launched a branded Instant Messenger called BS Buddy, which appears to be a customized version of Mundu IM from Geodesic Ltd. The Instant Messenger allows access via a single messenger, to MSN Messenger, Yahoo IM, AOL Messenger, ICQ, Google Talk and Jabber Talk. That’s nothing new - Pidgin already allow access to multiple IMs.

What’s noteworthy is the access to content that the IM allows - when you click on the yellow blob (seriously - what were they thinking?) in the IM that represents BS Buddy, it opens up a pane as shown below, called BS Dashboard.

The BS Dashboard provides current news, stock market information, stories from the days Business Standard, content from BS Motoring, and a merchandise from BSshopping (powered by IndiaPlaza). Details of the features available here. They appear to have a couple of advertisers already on board in Nokia, HP and Oracle.

As a product, I quite like the BS Buddy, but I don’t really see the point for Business Standard to launch somethng like this. Even though they have, they aren’t really communicating the key feature of the IM is the interoperability between various IMs, and they haven’t communicated that on the main page for the service - http://bsbuddy.business-standard.com/ . Without that being communicated, it appears to be a Business Standard IM, and hence there’s no incentive for a user to download it - that fact that users are also getting BS content is just an add-on.

Q2-09 Results: Geodesic Profit Up At $16.01 Million

Nothing to report on Chandamama on the digital front, from BSE listed Geodesic, except that the company organized events in Chennai, Coimbatore and Hyderabad, with 4000 children participating in each city. Chandamama is a subsidiary of Geodesic, and owns content targeting children; Geodesic had acquired a majority stake in the company with the agenda of digitizing the content.

Geodesic has reported revenues of $34.5 million (around Rs. 161.2 crores) for the quarter ended September 30th 2008, up 127 percent year-on-year. The company’s net profit increased to $16.01 million (Rs. 75.1 Crores), up 18 percent from the last quarter, and 127 percent year-on-year. During the quarter, the company changed its name from Geodesic Information Systems Ltd to Geodesic Ltd.

Geodesic added 397 new retail users during Q2, up from 278,000 last quarter. More importantly, they signed up six new enterprise customers across USA, Europe and Asia during the quarter, including customers in Handset Manufacturers, Telecom providers, VAS companies and BFSI (Banking, Financial Services & Insurance). Geodesic also intends to provide its IM and VoIP on mobile services to the Blackberry, and has joined the Blackberry ISV Alliance Program.

There’s apparently a new product in the works, for the marketing of which they’ve hired Pinstorm and Lintas as their agencies of record…perhaps it’s a consumer facing product. Note that Mahesh Murthy, founder of Pinstorm, sits on the board of Geodesic

Details: Release, Financials (Consolidated), Financials (Standalone)

Note: Consolidated results include earnings from Chandamama, PicoPeta Simputers, Engage Solutions Ltd, Geodesic Information Systems AV, Geodesic Information Systems PTE ltd, Geodesic Information Systems INC, Geodesic Techology Solutions Ltd, Geodesic Holdings (Mauritius);

ACK Media To Launch Amar Chitra Katha Site; Nina; Eyes GEC Space, And Maybe An IPO

The word “IPO” always makes headlines.

ACK Media, which had acquired Indian comic brands - Amar Chitra Katha and Tinkle - and more recently, Karadi Tales, is considering at IPO within the next 12-18 months, reports DNA. The proceeds will be used to fund the launch a General Entertainment Channel (GEC), which would require an investment of Rs. 100 crore. Channels currently targeting kids include Pogo, Cartoon Network, CBeebies, Disney, Toon Disney and Hungama TV.

What’s most interesting is the introduction of new content, and a new character in Tinkle - a 12 year old girl called Nina, and her adventures in the 1950s, apparently based around historical events…glimpses of George McDonald Fraser’s Flashman? Perhaps. More Nancy Drew than Flashman, though. ACK will produce mobile games and web content around Nina.

ACK Media has already started animating content from Tinkle. Before they launch a GEC, they’re going to produce content for DTH and Home Video; the idea, according to Samir Patil, CEO and founder of ACK Media, is to retain the IPR for the animation. They had acquired Bangalore based Quitemen Studio, which will focus on gaming, and now have plans to set up an animation studio in Mumbai. They’ll employ around 20 artists in the studio. Some samples of the animation of Shikari Shambu and Suppandi are up on YouTube - 1, 2, 3, 4.

ACK is also planning a separate website for Amar Chitra Katha (they already have the domain name amarchitrakatha.com) before the end of the year; the Tinkle site is up and running.

Also see out coverage of what another company - Geodesic Information Systems - is doing with classic Indian content they acquired to digitize - Chandamama. Geodesic has chosen to also provide the content in indic languages online, while ACK appears so far has online content in English only.

Related:
– Q1-09 Results: Geodesic Profit Up 18 Pc QoQ At $13.61 Million; Mundu IM To Be Bundled With Medion Handset In Europe
– Chandamama Launches Hindi, Tamil And Telugu Portals; Archives Inaccessible

Q1-09 Results: Geodesic Profit Up 18 Pc QoQ At $13.61 Million; Mundu IM To Be Bundled With Medion Handset In Europe

BSE listed Geodesic Information Systems has reported revenues of $30.19 million (around Rs. 129.65 crores) for the quarter ended June 30th 2008, up 22 percent quarter on quarter, and 112 percent year-on-year. Note that Geodesic has a majority stake in children’s magazine Chandamama, and provides mobile and desktop solutions for instant messaging, Internet Radio and mobile VoIP.

The company’s net profit increased to $13.61 million (Rs. 58.45 Crores), up 18 percent from the last quarter, and 103 percent year-on-year. The company believes that the growth is sustainable, since their platform can be customised, and deals signed now will bear fruit in the coming year. Geodesic is also looking to open an office in Spain.

View the results - Consolidated | Standalone | Release

Standalone results cover only Geodesic Information Systems, while consolidated results include earnings from Chandamama, PicoPeta Simputers, Engage Solutions Ltd, Geodesic Information Systems AV, Geodesic Information Systems PTE ltd, Geodesic Information Systems INC, Geodesic Techology Solutions Ltd, Geodesic Holdings (Mauritius); It’s not possible to glean earnings from Chandamama and PicoPeta separately from the consolidated results (we were trying). But some developments during the quarter:

Chandamama: Geodesic launched multi-lingual sites for Chandamama (related story); the 60th Chandamama Anniversary Book has gone into its second print cycle.
Mundu: Geodesic signed five new enterprise customers across USA, Europe and Asia. They bundled Mundu IM and Internet Radio with devices - most recently, German co MEDION AG licensed Mundu IM for an upcoming mobile device which will be sold in Europe - numbers range from between 500,000 - 1,000,000 units that will get shipped this year. Mundu IM has a subscriber base of 26.7 million in Europe. More on the deal here.
VoIP Phone: The company also launched a VoIP phone last quarter. Details here.

The company added 278,000 new retail customers during the quarter.

Related: Chandamama Launches Hindi, Tamil And Telugu Portals; Archives Inaccessible