Services :
Blyk starts with a messaging-focus. It offers f r e e 217 SMS and 43 min voice / month to 4.5 million invited 16-24 years old members in UK. This resulted from market research covering 3,000 16-24 year olds across Europe. They will charge additional 10p/SMS, 15p/min top-up rates with mobile data 99p/ Mbyte (except from adds clicks).
Blyck invites advertisers to go beyond adds and create dialogues not demographics stats and click-thru. Advertisers get unprecendented feedback from members, who get relevant information. 45 brands were announced at the launch including Boots, Coke, Flirtomatik, L'Oreal, McDonalds, MasterCard, Natwest, Sky Broadcasting, Sony Ericsson, Microsoft's Xbox.Infrastructure :
Nokia Siemens Networks provides a full mobile virtual network operator (MVNO)hosting connected to Orange UK radio network. First Hop provides the messaging software. TietoEnator, manages the BSS, web portals and services.Blyck has an elaborate customer care, in particular for subscriber authentication and ad campaign management. Xtract supplies consumer analytics (See my notes on Xtract founder Jouko Ahvenainen) . Mermit develops advertising and CRM systems. Plans are for for a pan-European deployment. Blyk is conisdering 12 deployments including France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
The press conference with Blyk’s co-founders, Pekka Ala-Pietilä (former president of Nokia) and Antti Öhrling courtesy of VPOD TV.
text WHISPER to 82595 to get your code to join Blyk in UK if you qualify
