Get Mvolved!

David Murphy talks to Dominic Bignall, MD of Mvolve, the business networking service for the mobile industry

DM: So Dominic, whats the big idea?

DB: Well, I decided to launch the Mvolve service after I became increasingly frustrated at the time and expense of trawling the conference circuit in order to develop relationships in overseas territories. Our service operates as a hybrid of an online networking service and a comprehensive industry directory, essentially an online, non-stop, 3GSM World Congress. 

DM: So its a networking service, first and foremost?

DB: It is in part, but not in the sense of the recent trend that has emerged on general business networking sites where users build huge personal networks but dont generally extract any real value from them. Mvolve is primarily a telecoms resource hub which is underpinned with a networking element. We are about pure lead generation and providing our customers with the tools to find new revenues and at the same time market their services. The principle is simple: you have a product or service to sell and you want to sell it as cost effectively as you can, Mvolve provides you with the functionality to achieve that goal.

DM: So how does it work?

DB: Well the service operates with users registering either as an individual or as a company listing with their personal profile attached. Companies can sign up for a free listing and have their employees profiles attached, or they can take one of the various levels of paid sponsorships, including Category, Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze. Within each category and via search results companies are displayed first via listing level and then by chronological order, providing the incentive for companies to sign up sooner rather than later. We made the decision to not limit users internal communications through the site by associating a message cost, but to build extra value through paid listings. The idea being that anyone can sign up and contact anyone else for free, but if you upgrade to a paid listing, you get increased profile functionality and promotion within the site. 

DM: So how much does it cost to become a sponsor?

DB: Its 5,470 per annum for Category Sponsorship; 2,340 for Platinum; 2,080 for Gold; 1,560 for Silver; and 727 for Bronze. There are unlimited Gold, Silver and Bronze listings within all categories, with only one Category Sponsor per Category, and one Platinum Sponsor per sub-category. We are also offering significant discounts for early bird companies registering prior to the launch of the site later this month.

DM: So how many categories are there?

DB: There are currently 58 core categories with a total of 174 sub categories, ranging from Mobile TV to VAS resellers. Each Category has an average of at least three sub-categories. The Content (Audio, Ringtones) Category, for example, breaks down into four sub-categories; Audio Content Aggregators (Full track, Ringtones); Audio Content Creators; Audio Content Official Licensing Bodies; and Audio Content Rights Publishers. At the point of registering, a company selects up to four sub-categories that they want to be listed in. This selection determines which search results they will be returned in when someone initiates a search on a particular type of product or service.

DM: And how is it going so far?

DB: Very well, we have been delighted with the progress to date. We have spent the past 18 months developing our own proprietary platform to fit the needs of our potential customers, and this seems to be paying off, judging from the feedback we are getting from companies and individuals. We have done next to no advertising other than for Alpha testers, and we have already attracted sponsors who are keen to gain their positions within the service. To date we have Aspire Mobile, Intomobiles and MyphoneScreen as Category Sponsors. We have Wireless Match as a Platinum sponsor, and NewMedia Edge, M-Movement and Glamourfone as Gold sponsors.

DM: So you mention this is a proprietary platform. Are there any plans to move into other vertical markets as Mvolve or with other non-telecoms industry partners?

DB: Well interestingly, when we first laid out the Mvolve concept we planned to only operate the service within the telecoms industry. However, as the build was coming together, the management and investors took the decision that post Mvolve launch, we will offer the underlying platform to other major industry bodies and associations within bordering vertical markets for them to develop their own self-branded services.

DM: So you are the opposite of Linkedin and Ning in that sense?

DB: Very much so, rather than operating with a strategy of mass customer acquisition with the ability for those users to create unlimited user groups, we want to create keystone hubs for vertical markets that will be both vibrant, and stand the test of time. We will then look at how we can effectively bring together those bordering synergetic market platforms to the benefit of our users.

DM: And why did you decide to take a differing approach from these well known companies to what seems to have become a tried and tested format?

DB: The management and investors of Mvolve simply didnt believe that the current solutions were effective enough or geared accordingly to the telecoms industry. More importantly, we saw that over time, the major players within the business networking sector seemed to be growing towards social networking rather than a pure business proposition. This year we have seen a definite shift towards market-specific solutions, so we still feel our decision was a correct one and that we are in the right place at the right time.

DM: And finally, have you felt any effects of the social networking M&A activity that has come about over the past six months?

DB: Well to date, Mvolve has been a privately-funded company. In 2008, we will be embarking on a strategy to source new investment to develop both the Mvolve brand and our ASP side of the business, so we are most certainly pleased with the current level of vibrancy within the investment market.