Brazil to use NZ mobile platform

Mobile messaging specialist Bulletin Wireless is poised for a big breakthrough in Brazil after attending TeleExpo in Sao Paolo this month.

Bulletin was one of five New Zealand companies that attended the annual telecommunications industry trade show as part of a New Zealand Trade and Enterprise initiative.

Company president Bruce Herbert said he was going back next month to finalise deals with four of Brazil's mobile phone carriers which could generate revenues of US$50 million ($75 million) over the next three years.

"It is a big market. Brazil is poised to break 100 million mobiles this year," Herbert said.

Bulletin's Smart Messaging Application Centre platform allows carriers to send short messages or multimedia messages from an email client such as Outlook to a cellphone or any other text-capable mobile device.

Other patented Bulletin technology ensures messages sent back from the phone get to the proper place.

"Everyone can push messages out, but how you handle replies is a lot more difficult. You need to know where the originating message came from when you reply off mobile phones," Herbert said.

Brazil Telecom, CTBC and Sao Paulo-based Telemig Cellular intend to use the technology within Brazil, while Nextel Brazil also wants to extend it to corporate customers in Chile, Argentina and Mexico.

Bulletin will produce a customised front end for each company and, initially at least, will run the application through a gateway at its Auckland data centre.

It will share the revenue on every message that goes through its gateway.

Herbert said the Brazilian carriers wanted more high-value services to attract and retain the big-spending corporate customers.