Mundu Radio Goes Commercial Next Quarter

Geodesic's Mundu Radio (beta), introduced in September as free internet radio on mobile phones, will release its commercial version in the next quarter of 2007. Mundu radio beta, which currently runs on mobile platforms such as Symbian, Windows mobile and Palm OS, may also be made compatible with Java- based phones, with the commercial release.

Geodesic has planned some new features for the next release, such as the ability to share personal playlists with other Mundu users and enhanced ability to find various radio stations on the internet. Mundu radio listeners will, however, be required to pay a monthly subscription fee for the service and may have to pay a separate sum for the new features introduced in the commercial version. Geodesic has recently entered into a co-operative relationship with BenQ to distribute Mundu for multiple BenQ smartphone models manufactured in 2007, but Geodesic also wants to tie up Mundu radio with mobile operators, to offer its services at more affordable rates soon.

The company is looking to tie up with premium brands to offer their content such as news and special interest radio stations on Mundu radio. RadioVerve is one such special interest station on radio Mundu that caters to underground Indian music buffs. Incidentally, one of the members behind RadioVerve is the senior vice president of Mundu radio's parent company, Geodesic.

Geodesic has other products under the Mundu brand, such as its VoIP service on mobile phones, called MunduSpeak and its instant messaging service, Mundu IM. Anand Virani, Associate vice president, Geodesic revealed that the company is currently exploring the possibility of integrating all Mundu services together, with Internet radio, IM and VoIP. He said, "We are exploring the possibility of marrying our Mundu products together, in a way that facilitates legitimate sharing of content, between users. It's human nature to experience something and then want to share it with others, so we envision a service that allows users to listen to discover new radio stations, from anywhere in the world and then be able to share their enthusiasm via IM or VoIP, all on their mobile phones. Although this feature may not be available in the next version, it is definitely on the agenda, in the near future."

He added that their Mundu IM will soon be out in a new version, with new features and enhanced capabilities. Also, Geodesic is currently working out licenses and formalities for its VoIP product, MunduSpeak, for the product to emphasize its presence in the Indian market.

When asked about the name 'Mundu', Virani said, "Mundu is our man Friday. It's the name of our mascot — the little helpful kid who makes things easier for people, just like our products make life easier for our customers."