Synchronica plc, which provides next-generation mobile messaging services, has chalked up its 40th mobile operator customer. The company has grown its customer base three-fold since 2007 and increased its addressable market to 660m end-users.

Earlier this year, Synchronica unveiled an upgrade to its Mobile Gateway solution. In addition to providing mass market push email and synchronization, Mobile Gateway 5 now provides a next-generation mobile messaging suite, enabling mobile instant messaging (IM) and social networking services, regardless of the type of handset. Additionally, users can subscribe to thousands of online news and entertainment services with the new RSS web feed reader.

Synchronica says that Mobile Gateway 5 enables operators to increase data traffic and subscriber loyalty by providing a broad range of mobile messaging services from a single platform. It allows users to connect to existing internet communities to drive traffic and user uptake, but also allows operators to create their own email services and instant messaging communities.

According to a recent report on the mobile IM market in Africa and Latin America from Frost & Sullivan, the total market for mobile IM solutions is estimated to grow to almost 500m users by 2015 from almost zero in 2008.
Similarly, a recent report from Informa suggests that mobile social networking will undergo substantial growth over the next three years. At the end of 2008, there were approximately 92.5m mobile social networking users globally, and this is projected to grow to 641.6m by 2013.

“Welcoming Synchronicas 40th customer is truly an exciting landmark for us,” says Synchronica CEO, Carsten Brinkschulte. “It re-affirms our strategy of focusing our efforts on high-growth emerging markets and investing in product developments that best meet the needs of customers in these regions. Most of the customers that we announced in 2009 are now ready to launch. Looking ahead, I am confident that we will continue to increase our customer base and see significant user take-up within our large addressable market of live installations.”