BigAdda Launches Mobile App, Wap Site and SMS Features; Mobile Number Ids

BigAdda, Reliance Entertainment’s social networking play, has gone mobile with a mobile app, wap site and SMS features. The Big B(eta) seems to have gone well, considering they first launched the mobile app to ease Amitabh Bachchan’s blogging pains. The app, titled MobileAdda, supports Nokia (NYSE: NOK), Sony (NYSE: SNE), Motorola (NYSE: MOT) and Samsung handsets and has basic functionality of add/reject friend requests, status and scribbles (read as scraps/write on wall). Interesting thing about the app is it scans your phonebook for numbers and sends them invitees. The login module has been changed from a generic username to a mobile number based login id. BigAdda seems to be hedging their bets on mining your phone address book, arguably the richest source of information on your social map, and drawing data based on that. The WAP site also urges you to add invite friends from your phonebook, which leads back to getting you to download the application. The SMS service is fairly basic, allowing users to accept/deny friends request, receive alerts and write/receive scribbles at Rs 3 a pop (55454). This seems to be following our recent prediction that ADAG would shift BigAdda’s social networking focus to mobile following the investment in Pelago’s Whrrl, further corrobrated by this report stating a Rs 4.2 crore ($1 million) ad spend on the initiative. Wouldn’t be suprised if the app is featured on Reliance’s R-World and as an on-deck download on the soon to be launched GSM network’s wap portal.