NEW DELHI, India—Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications, the 50:50 joint venture between Ericsson and Sony Corporation, hopes to grab a substantial share of the emerging market for multimedia mobile phones in the Asia-Pacific region.
The company on Tuesday launched its multimedia messaging service (MMS) phone in India. “We hope to launch in other emerging markets in the region like Thailand and Indonesia very soon,” said Claes Svensson, vice president of marketing for the Asia-Pacific region, on the sidelines of the launch here. The company is awaiting regulatory and technical approvals in Thailand.
Svensson said the mobile market is poised to enter a transition phase later this year, with operators moving from short messaging service (SMS) to extended messaging service (EMS) and MMS. Developed markets in the region will move from subscriber growth to revenue growth, and MMS can help generate revenues, he added.
The number of gaming subscribers globally stood at around 50 million last year, generating US$100 million in revenues. This figure is projected to grow to US$850 million by 2006, generating revenues worth US$4.4 billion. Gaming is a key application of MMS.
In India, the company’s products will be retailed through outlets of Sony India, announced Sudhin Mathur, general manager of Sony Ericsson India.
