Telcordia, mPortal bring content to MVNOs

With 13 mobile virtual network operator customers built primarily around voice services, Telcordia decided to get into the content game. It announced a joint solution with mPortal to help current and future MVNOs deliver content and data services as well as voice.

“We've been focused primarily on voice services until now and with this are adding content, which is an important service for MVNOs,” Cathy McMahon, executive director of product management of hosted solutions for Telcordia.

She added that in addition to integrating their technologies, the partnership gives Telcordia access to the content relationships mPortal has in place. The companies have deployed their joint solution and are in production with an MVNO, which McMahon said the companies hope to announce soon.

Founded seven years ago, mPortal operates offices in India and the U.S. In January, it moved its corporate headquarters to McClean, Va. There it creates platforms for content delivery and discovery that enable MVNOs and content providers to create, launch and manage mobile content and applications across multiple mobile devices and networks.

Both mPortal and Telcordia are involved in Disney's MVNO solutions. The now formal relationship will look to deliver data and content to new as well as existing customers.

“Service providers and MVNOs see the need for out content delivery platform as well as the content we bring to the table, but they were only looking for an end-to-end managed solution. So the partnership with Telcordia makes sense,” said D.P. Venkatesh, CEO of mPortal. “Through them, we are able to offer an end-to-end solution to an MVNO.”

mPortal's main products are its Springboard Smart Client and Springboard Mobile Content Delivery Manager. The Smart Client allows operators to create customizable access to a basic storefront in the handset that can access the MVNO's catalog of services, which mPortal manages. It can present the storefront as a browser or can cache content for further review offline. Disney uses it to offer its Family Monitor and Family Alert applications.

“Because we are integrated directly with Telcordia's [real-time charging platform], we can do real-time queries and refresh Mom's device to let her know Junior only has 20 minutes left,” Venkatesh said.

mPortal's Content Delivery Manager (CDM), which includes the content catalog, helps operators manage inventory and create customized service packages. It also manages content distribution while supporting digital rights management and can be used to track data usage.

The companies have spent the last four months integrating their products. Telcordia's Hosted Solution for MVNOs includes its Service Delivery Suite and Converged Real-Time Charging solutions for both prepaid and post-pay offerings. It supports 25,000 ringtones, games and other content. mPortal's technology not only adds a great deal of content and management capabilities, it allows both vendors to offer a more comprehensive managed solution.

“We will make it available across the board,” McMahon said. “Many of our MVNOs don't have a data offering, so there is good opportunity there.”

The companies will focus at first in North America, but anticipate international opportunities.