YooMedia Acquires Whoosh To Boost Mobile Portfolio
Interactive TV specialist YooMedia has acquired embattled mobile marketing and technology firm Whoosh, in an effort to build its mobile portfolio and extend the use of the company’s technology.
YooMedia, which currently operates interactive games on cable, Sky and through Freeview, as well as providing interactive solutions to broadcasters, already employs Whoosh SMS technology in TV quiz shows such as ITV’s hugely popular Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
Whoosh’s Real Time Messaging Service technology allows large numbers of text messages to be received at the same time, as well as providing accurate statistics on when the messages were sent. The technology has been used by numerous quiz shows, as well as in shows using viewer voting, such as the BBC’s Test the Nation. The technology is also used in marketing campaigns for several high-profile brands.
However, last year Whoosh revealed difficulties, documenting a loss of nearly £500,000 on revenues of just over £318,000. YooMedia clearly believe the company is salvageable, and have plenty of scope to incorporate it into their existing product portfolio.
Whoosh will now be integrated into YooMedia’s Trigger TV product, allowing viewers and listeners to interact with radio and television programmes. The product has so far been implemented by Turner Broadcasting on their children’s TV channel, Cartoon Network, and by the BBC on Radio 5 Live.
David Bainbridge, managing director of Whoosh will be made responsible for the integration of Whoosh and Trigger TV, and will oversee the running of the business.
He said: “Putting Whoosh together with Trigger TV as part of the wider YooMedia family is an irresistible opportunity. It gives us a fantastic platform from which to exploit the growing appetite for using wireless as an entertainment and marketing tool.”
The popularity of text messaging has been on the increase for some time, however, new research from the Mobile Data Association revealed that more than 16.5 million people in the UK are now able to send and receive photo messages and e-mail via their mobile phones as well (see More Than 16.5 Million Now Use Photo Messaging).
The new technology has yet to receive the same wide-spread attention amongst media owners as text messaging, although this will inevitably change, meaning that YooMedia is now in prime position to maximise on the new revenue streams multimedia messaging offers.
YooMedia: 0207 462 0870 www.yoomedia.com
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