Makkad G's 10101 | 02.09 | May 1-15, 2008

Makkad G's 10101

1nformation 0n 1ndian 0nline 1ndustry

(Beta…, Beti, Bhai, Behen. Every1's invited!)

Version 02.09

-

Hello,

Here's your issue of Makkad G's 10101 for May 1–15, 2008.

Happy Reading!

Makkad G

-

Talk of the Town

-

OnMobile net profit grows by 79% at Rs 60.3 crore for 2007-08
OnMobile Global, a leading mobile value added services (M-VAS) company, has posted a net profit of Rs 60.3 crore on a total revenue of Rs 269.3 crore for the March 2008 ended year, as compared with a net profit of Rs 33.7 crore on a total revenue of Rs 137.3 crore recorded a year ago. In the fourth quarter ended March 2008, the company earned a net profit of Rs 4.5 crore on a total revenue of Rs 71.8 crore.

-

Google lets AdWords users to buy TV ads in US
Google has opened up its TV ad system, which was introduced for a limited number of beta testers in June 2007, to all AdWords advertisers in US. Google TV Ads allows AdWords users to select which TV networks will broadcast the ad and when the ad will run.

-

Provider of web video contents on mobile phones raises $7.8 million from NVP
Veveo, a provider of web video contents through mobile phones, has secured $7.8 million in series - B funding from Norwest Venture Partners. Including the current round, the company has so far raised $28 million in venture funding from Matrix Partners, North Bridge Venture Partners, NVP and OmniCapital.

-

Yatra to compensate for flight delays even for non Yatra.com bookings
Online travel company Yatra.com has introduced a reimbursement policy under which the company promises to offer air travellers a compensation of Rs 200 for all domestic flight delays of over 20 minutes in India.

-

Scrabulous may soon be available to Orkut users
Scrabulous, an online word game developed by Rajat and Jayant Agarwalla, may soon be available to Orkut users. The application, which boasts of three million registered users, is already running on Facebook where it has reportedly become the fifth-most popular application.

-

Zapak in talks with local players to launch its gaming portal in Brazil, Russia, China
Zapak Digital Entertainment, a part of Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, is reportedly in talks with local players in Brazil, Russia and China in order to launch its online gaming portal Zapak.com in the local languages. The move is aimed at expanding Zapak's operations into BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries.

-

Agencyfaqs invites readers to suggest colours for its new logo Afaqs
Agencyfaqs.com, the advertising, media and marketing website, is shortening its name to Afaqs. The company has unveiled the outline of its new logo and is now inviting readers to suggest colours for the new logo.

-

AdvertisementIndia.com allows users to book ads in Indian newspapers
Lucknow-based WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) Advertising is running an online service at AdvertisementIndia.com where users can book their ads in Indian national and regional dailies from anywhere in the world.

-

IBM India Research Laboratory working on talking website
IBM India Research Laboratory is working on a talking website project that aims to enable even the unlettered people to create a website and access information from others for business transactions.

-

Times Group in talks to acquire 20-30% stake in Dekhona.com
Officials of Bennett, Coleman & Company Ltd (The Times Group) are in talks to acquire 20-30 per cent stake in the online video sharing company. In return, Dekhona.com will be allowed to leverage the existing Times group properties for marketing and promotional activities.

-

Online game subscriptions generate $1 billion a year in US
Online games are generating $1 billion a year in subscription revenue in US. Here online games include massively multiplayer online games, casual games, and online games played on consoles.

-

Web18 to launch horizontal portal
Web18, the internet arm of Network18 group, is planning to launch a horizontal portal. The existing horizontal portals in India include Rediff.com, Indiatimes.com, Sify.com, Yahoo.co.in, MSN.co.in and AOL.in.


-

Zoho allows users to login with Google, Yahoo accounts
Zoho, an online service offering office productivity suite, has allowed users to login to the site with their Google or Yahoo accounts. According to Zoho, its users can now also share documents with their friends who have Google or Yahoo accounts.

-

MySpace wins $230 million in anti-spam judgement
Social networking site MySpace has won $230 million in a case filed against two spammers in US. Sanford Wallace and his partner Walter Rines had created their accounts on MySpace and sent more than 730,000 spam messages to other members of the social networking site, in a way that many of the messages appeared to have come from trusted friends.

-

Zapak expects 25% of its revenues to come from merchandise
Zapak Digital Entertainment plans to launch a host of merchandise built around the Zapak games in order to push growth. Its merchandise will include bags, apparel, mugs, headphones, accessories and handbands and will be priced between Rs 150 and Rs 300.

-

WebSight!-Spin the Web. Explore!

-

SutraHR launched to help startups find talented people
Mumbai-based Sutra HR has launched a people consulting service that aims to help startups and small entrepreneurial-driven companies in finding the right talent to facilitate their growth as a company and as a business. Sutra HR counts companies like Zapak, PaGaLGuY, Seventymm, Komli Media, Burrp, Communicate2, ZoomIn, Interactive Avenues and BookMyShow among its clients.

-

LaunchPad-Just Born Online (I just love the Betas!)

-

Yahoo India launches Local Search in 4 cities
Yahoo India has launched a local search engine at Local.Yahoo.in. The local search is currently available in four cities -- Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai.

-

ReviewGist.in offers product discovery and research tool for consumer electronics
Cobaan Technologies has launched ReviewGist.in, a product discovery and research tool for consumer electronics powered by online expert reviews. ReviewGist also provides specification and pricing information from some of the leading online retailers.

-

CafeGadgets.in launches SMS-based product and price search
CafeGadgets.in, an online retailer of cutting edge gadgets and gizmos, has introduced CG Mobile Search, which allows users to do product and price search on mobile phones. To use the service, one would have to send an SMS to 53030 and get the price quotes of his desired product from CafeGadgets.in.

-

UTVi.com to focus on business news, e-shopping, lifestyle related content
UTVi, the business news channel from UTV, has launched its website UTVi.com. UTVi.com will rely on online shopping and lifestyle related content like travel, entertainment, gadgets, fashion and food to compensate for the fall in traffic after the stock markets close.

-

Nautanki.tv offers Fashion TV content on its video network
Online video channel Nautanki.tv has started showing video clips from Fashion TV channel. The site is currently showing 15 minutes of content of the latest fashion shows in India.

-

RouteGuru.com launches SMS-based route finder service
RouteGuru.com, which offers landmark-based driving directions in India, has launched RouteGuru On-the-Go, a SMS-based service that would help users in the Delhi-NCR region to find direction hints as well as approximate auto-fare while they are on the move.

-

Ibibo comes out with a new concept called Baltigiri
Social networking site Ibibo.com has launched a community based concept called Baltigiri which is a take-off from Gandhigiri and the Balti Ad. The new concept gives Ibibo users a voice, beyond providing a platform for social interaction.

-

Yahoo India unveils new search feature Glue Pages
Yahoo India has launched Glue Pages, a new search feature that collates and integrates 'the most relevant information' from across the web onto a single visual search results page. For instance, a search for Aishwarya Rai would include biographical quick-facts, videos, music tracks, photos and content from Yahoo Answers.

-

Guruji.com launches Music Search, offers list of top songs
Internet search engine Guruji.com has launched Music Ka Guru - Guruji.com Music Search. The new service also provides a list of top songs, top singers and top albums.

-

Webdunia launches online classifieds in local languages
Indian language portal Webdunia.com has introduced a classified advertisement service in local languages. The new service allows users to post an advertisement and receive responses on the email, phone or by post

-

PKBS (SecondShaadi) launches auto portal Gaadi.com
Pahwa Knowledge Based Services, a consumer internet company that owns SecondShaadi.com, has launched an auto portal Gaadi.com. PKBS was recently in news for successfully selling its social networking site Desimartini.com to HT Media's wholly-owned internet subsidiary Firefly eVentures.

-

Yahoo launches its Search Marketing system in India
Yahoo India has launched Yahoo Search Marketing, a sponsored search system that makes it easy for advertisers to build and manage their online ad campaigns. The new platform also helps advertisers to gain a higher return on their investments by targeting relevant customers.

-

IBNLive.com launches new features to boost engagement with users
IBNLive.com, a news portal from Web 18, has launched two features Mindgames and Active Search. These features have been launched in a bid to boost engagement with users along with providing them the daily news and breaking stories.

-

Nexus-Link.Un.Link

-

IAMAI appoints S Bikhchandani as chairman; Ajit Balakrishnan named Chairman Emeritus
Ajit Balakrishnan, founder, chairman and managing director of Rediff.com, has been appointed Chairman Emeritus of Internet and Mobile Association of India. IAMAI has also appointed Sanjeev Bikhchandani, founder and CEO of Info Edge India (Naukri.com), as its new chairman for the year 2008-09.

-

Cox to acquire ad network technology provider Adify for $300 million
Cox Enterprises, a media company with broad holdings in newspapers, radio and television, has decided to acquire US-based online advertising technology company Adify for $300 million. Adify, which was founded in 2005, helps internet publishers build vertical advertising networks under their own brand names.

-

MSN India to provide content on Royal Challengers Bangalore's website
MSN India has tied up with the Royal Challengers Bangalore team to power RoyalChallengers.com, the official website of the Royal Challengers, and help build content and tools for fans to interact with Bangalore's IPL team online.

-

Web18 reorganises its online properties into financial and content verticals
Web18, which holds all the internet properties of Network18 Group, has reorganised its operations into two separate groups -- financial and content verticals. While Rishi Khiani has been appointed chief operating officer for the content vertical, Joyson Thomas has been appointed COO of the Web18's financial properties. Varun Singh, chief technology officer of Web18, will continue to head Tech2.com and BizTech2.com.

-

Microsoft withdraws proposal to acquire Yahoo
Microsoft has withdrawn its proposal to acquire Yahoo. In January 2008, Microsoft had made an unsolicited offer to buy Yahoo for $44.6 billion. Yahoo later rejected the offer saying Microsoft's bid 'substantially undervalued' the company. Recently, Microsoft raised its bid by about $5 billion but now it appears that Yahoo wanted Microsoft to further raise its bid by another $5 billion or more, raising the acquisition size to about $55 billion.

-

Google adds Hindi to its online translation service
Google has added Hindi language to its online translation service. Google Translate will now allow users to translate text or a web page between Hindi and English.

-

Zapak ties-up with Ishant Sharma to launch bowling only cricket game
Zapak Digital Entertainment and Jump Games, the two gaming divisions of Reliance Entertainment, have partnered with cricketer Ishant Sharma to launch an online and a mobile game based around the cricketer.

-

YouTube India goes live, ties-up with local content partners
Video sharing site YouTube, which is owned by Google, has launched YouTube.co.in, a local site specific to Indian viewers. YouTube has also signed up "dozens of local partners" to distribute their content through the YouTube India site. To coincide with the YouTube India launch, the company has also unveiled the official YouTube India blog at in.YouTube.com/blog.

-

Yahoo partners with McAfee to deliver 'safer' Web search experience
Yahoo has partnered with security technology company McAfee to deliver a 'safer' Web search experience to Yahoo Search users. Websites that may harm the user's computer just by visiting them will be eliminated from appearing in Yahoo Search results.

-

SlideShare secures $3 million from US-based VC firm Venrock
SlideShare.net, which enables users to share PowerPoint presentations, has secured an investment of $3 million from US-based VC firm Venrock. With this investment, David Siminoff, managing partner at Venrock has joined SlideShare's board of directors which currently includes Guy Kawasaki.

-

Indyarocks partners with FXLabs to create casual gaming community
Social networking site Indyarocks.com has partnered with FXLabs Studios, a leading end-to-end game company, to create a gaming platform that will have more than 5,000 online casual games. The online gaming platform will also allow independent game developers to upload and get feedback from more than a million active gamers on Indyarocks.

-

Riya Sen appointed brand ambassador for IPLT20.com
IPLT20.com, the official website of Indian Premier League (IPL), has appointed Bollywood actress Riya Sen as its brand ambassador. As a brand ambassador, Riya Sen would be present at the IPL matches, interact with the cricketers, and post her reactions and views on the site.

-

M&C Saatchi Direct & Digital appoints Sumantra Sengupta as CEO
UK-based advertising agency M&C Saatchi has launched its digital advertising and direct marketing agency M&C Saatchi Direct & Digital in India. The company has also appointed Sumantra Sengupta as chief executive officer of the new agency. Sengupta was formerly senior vice president and general manager at RMG Connect.

-

Shekhar Sharma joins Interaction as national director, search marketing
Interaction, the digital arm of GroupM, has appointed Shekhar Sharma as national director, search marketing. Prior to joining Interaction, Shekhar Sharma was general manager, internet and telecom, at India Today Group Digital. He has also worked at Indiatimes.com as deputy manager, online sales.

-

ApnaLoan appoints Kairav Shah as Vice President
ApnaLoan.com has appointed Kairav Shah as vice president, Personal Finance. Prior to joining ApnaLoan, Kairav Shah was vice president at SRE Financial Planners, a division of Sykes & Ray Equities.

-

Sulekha.com partners with Weather Channel to provide weather data to its users
Social networking and classifieds site Sulekha.com has partnered with The Weather Channel Interactive to provide real-time weather information to its members and visitors.

-

Kolkata Knight Riders enables fans to receive team pics on mobile phones
Shahrukh Khan's IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders has partnered with MobShare, a mobile media sharing service provider, to enable cricket fans receive exclusive photos of the team on their GPRS-enabled mobile phones.

-

That's all for now folks!

-

Makkad-G