Mobile Social Entertainment Service mig33 Again Broadens Its Reach, Delivering New Mobile and Web Access to New Consumers and Markets

SINGAPORE, June 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Already the world's largest mobile community, mig33 today announced another milestone in its march toward becoming the world's top mobile social entertainment service, expanding its umbrella to embrace millions of potential users who access online services in an increasing variety of ways.

New mig33 platforms means that its chat, instant message, gifting, games and other services are now available to a much wider audience across the mobile-first regions on which mig33 already focuses.

mig33's new mobile (WAP) service provides access from any device, including Apple's iPhone, bringing the community even further into the mobile mainstream.  Its web platform delivers functionality that surpasses that of chat- and IM-oriented sites like Meebo and eBuddy.

Since its founding in 2006, mig33 has grown to almost 40 million registered users almost exclusively by virtue of its Java (J2ME) application, which currently services more than 2,000 different mobile handsets.  

The company sees the expanded offerings accelerating its remarkable growth.

"This is about much more than new platforms – it's about access and growth," said Steven Goh, CEO and Cofounder of mig33.  "Millions of consumers are accessing entertainment and communications in ever-expanding ways, from smartphones and low-cost handsets alike to web-based services and desktop clients.  mig33's new platforms are designed to meet that demand, afford the company new ways to market our services, and pave the way for mig33 to add tens of millions more customers in mobile-first markets worldwide."

The move is yet another strategic milestone as mig33 continues to transform itself from a simple, Java-based mobile chat service just a few years ago, to a full-blown social entertainment service with a virtual economy modeled after China's $38bn Tencent QQ (QQ).

"We've largely built the mig33 community on a mobile J2ME client, and this is the first major step in widening our access to the other major mobile and Internet platforms," continued Goh.  "The primary means of mobile access is still WAP in many markets.  At the same time, our new web platform is effectively our route to the desktop, as native and web apps are soon to be essentially one and the same.  As a result, we believe we've built the onramps that will help us become the mobile social entertainment service for the rest of the world."

The new WAP service provides mig33 members access to all existing community services and features, and now also allows users to create and participate in member blogs and forums.  The service will also host expanded versions of mig33's immensely popular migWars game and provide additional user avatar options.  mig33's new AJAX web application allows customers to participate in the community directly from the desktop, and includes new chat, avatar and user interface offerings.

mig33 expects to unveil additional handset and operating system options in coming months.

About mig33

mig33 is the world's largest mobile-first community, providing social communications and entertainment for more than 40 million members and their mobile devices worldwide.  With mig33, members in more than 200 countries engage in vibrant chat communities, share photos, send gifts, play games, post on each others profiles, join groups, create avatars and much more. The service is available worldwide and optimized for more than 2,000 handsets. Founded in 2005, mig33 is backed by Silicon Valley venture firms Accel Partners, Redpoint Ventures and DCM. For more information, please visit www.mig33.com.

SOURCE mig33