SaffronArt Introduces Mobile Auction Application
Auction house SaffronArt is going mobile, allowing collectors to view and bid for art and jewelry using its mobile application. The application works with Java enabled phones, and allows users to view catalogue details, place bids, monitor auction progress, search the catalogue by lot number, artist, designer name or material. However, to bid, users must be pre-registered and approved by Saffronart. Details of the application are available here. [release]
Bharti Airtel, RCOM, Seek Connectivity To North East Through Bangladesh
Bharti and Reliance Communications have submitted a joint proposal to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) for a telecom corridor through Bangladesh. The two companies seek links to Indian states Assam, Nagaland, Tripura, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh, which, at present, get telecom services through VSAT, at a high price. In return, Bangladesh will get a wider link as the Indian companies have already connected with Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan and have offered to link with Myanmar. [Daily Star]
Indian Mobile Number Portability Delayed
Citing issues with the time and effort required to upgrading existing networks for enabling Mobile Number Portability in India, the countrys Department of Telecom has decided to extend the date for introducing MNP in Metro and Category A circles to December 31st 2009. MNP is likely to be available by end 2009 in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu including Karnataka and Chennai service areas. This will offer some respite to telecom operators, who would first like to address the task of bidding for India’s 3G spectrum auction. [release]
Related: the Price of Mobile Number Portability
Adlabs Films To Be Renamed Reliance MediaWorks
Adlabs Films, a BSE listed company in which the Reliance ADA group has controlling stake, will be renamed Reliance MediaWorks, subject to shareholder and other approvals. Post Reliance’s acquisition of the company in 2005, Adlabs has entered new segments from film production, like digital post-production, digital cinema mastering, studios/shooting floors, film and TV equipment rentals, visual effects and image enhancement, film restoration BO and other film related services. A part of its operations is Lowry Digital, a 100% owned facility in LA, California, USA. Adlabs also operates BIG Cinemas, which owns 457 screens across India, US, Malaysia and Netherlands. [Release]
Related: Reliance ADAG Infuses $325M Into Dreamworks; First Movie In 2010; IPO?
Man Jit Singh Appointed CEO of MultiScreen Media
Man Jit Singh, Chairman of MultiScreen Media (formerly Sony Entertainment Television), who was the interim CEO of the company after Kunal Dasgupta’s exit, has now been made CEO of the company. Singh had joined the board of MSM (then Sony Entertainment Television) as Chairman in March 2007, replacing Michael Grindon, President of Sony Pictures Television International. He was with PE fund Diogenes Capital prior to joining MSM. [Exchange4Media]
Related: Sony India: Bengali Channel Buy; More Churn After Kunal Dasgupta’s Exit
The Times Of India Tests Premium Weekend Edition
Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd, publisher of The Times of India, has started circulating a 32 page, Rs. 6 weekend edition on Saturdays. BCCL chief marketing officer Rahul Kansal has said no launch date has been decided yet, and the company will finalize the details based on the test. The publication is targeting a discerning audience that wants in-depth and intelligent content. Details at ContentSutra.
Indian PM on Facebook [Reuters]
BSNL Announces Tariffs For CDMA 2000 1X [Details]
HP Owned Snapfish Launches co-branded Photo Center With eBay India
Snapfish has announced a partnership with eBay India to launch a co-branded Photo Center, enabling “over 3 million eBay India users” to print, share and store unlimited photographs. The Photo Center allows customers products ranging from photo greeting cards, t-shirts, mugs, sporty drinking bottles, money boxes, calendars, stickers etc. [release]
Etisalat Db To Outsource Applications & Infrastructure To Tech Mahindra
Etisalat DB Telecom and its subsidiary, today, signed the LOI (Letter of Intent) with Tech Mahindra to manage the IT applications and infrastructure requirements for its proposed roll-out across 15 circles. Tech Mahindra has worked with Etisalat before, for the groups launch in Egypt.
The 10 year deal, according to the release, is valued at over Rs. 2000 crores (USD 400 million). Etisalat DB and its subsidiary would outsource implementation of its end-to-end IT applications & infrastructure including system integration and managed services to Tech Mahindra – BSS (Business Support Systems) and OSS (Operating Support Systems).[Release]
MTS / Sistema Shyam To Launch Services In Delhi, Mumbai Before 2009 End
Vsevolod Rozanov, CEO of CDMA telco Sistema Shyam has said that the company plans to launch its services in Delhi in the next few months, and in Mumbai by the end of the year. Both are saturated markets. Rozanov also said that unlike Reliance Communications and Tata Indicom, they’re looking to stick with CDMA services, and are not planning a GSM launch. More at Economic Times.
