Hola!, a new social networking service, launched by Comviva

Comviva, a global provider of mobile solutions and value added services, has announced the launch of Hola!, a one stop shop application to access social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter,  email as well as popular web feeds via the mobile phone, at the ongoing 2012 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

The new app, which aims to democratize social networking through mobile phones especially the avid networkers in the emerging markets, is powered by Comviva’s WebAxn, a cloud-based or network-based mobile app platform that enables service providers to develop and deploy applications and services on mass market handsets.

Hola! is a standards-based solution that enables rapid andcost-efficient development, testing, deployment, management, distribution and marketing of a wide range of client, SMS and USSD based mobile applications.

“Given the viral nature of networking and messaging applications, there exists strong latent demand for an available, easy-to-use networking and communication service that extends access to popular networking apps across the entire mobile subscriber base. Operators in emerging markets need to act now to garner consumer mindshare, if they are to become a central player in the market for mobile social networking services,” said Arun Tanksali, Comviva’s head of mobile lifestyle solutions in a media release.

Tanksali added that Hola! will deliver services to mobile operator customers that will further drive mobile data proliferation, by helping operators with their business objective of enhanced customer experience and increased revenues and well as empower customers to experience handset agnostic, faster and instant social networking connect.

According to the latest study by eMarketer, there has been an increase in the number of users accessing the social networking sites on their mobile phones by 27 per cent from 2010 to 2011 and sending emails via mobile by 34 per cent from 2010 to 2011.

Hola! expects to help the users to stay connected to the social networking websites without worrying about the cost and the network issues and provides the following benefits to network operators and subcribers:

• Build brand loyalty in emerging markets
• Create a new revenue stream
• Service users with faster rate
• Provides insight into consumers’ usage patterns, supporting creation of successful cross selling activities and service packs
• Pricing options – pay-per-use, subscription, one time downloadable packs, basis the affordability
• Enables easy, manageable and interesting communication
• Allows 24X7 service irrespective of the network connectivity

With an extensive portfolio of solutions, applications delivery platforms and customer-facing applications, Comviva – with operations in 90 countries globally – enables mobile service providers to enrich mobile users’ lives, whilst rationalizing costs, accelerating revenue growth and enhancing customer lifetime value.