Bebo has announced that January mobile page views grew by 44% and text messaging traffic grew by 13% month-on-month following the launch of Bebo Open Mobile.
Bebo Open Mobile is a global program for mobile operators, handset manufacturers and mobile software developers. The initiative offers a suite of tools to support the delivery of the Bebo social networking experience to mobile users and is calimed to have achieved considerable industry adoption.
Sean Kane, Global Head of Mobile, Bebo, says: "This growth is a positive early indicator that we're delivering our users and Bebo Open Mobile Partners a compelling mobile experience. Mobile social networking is a fast-moving market and empowering our partners to innovate in a flexible and mutually beneficial way helps us all win."
Bebo Open Mobile packages the company's mobile services into a single integrated program for mobile industry partners. It offers members access to Bebo's global user base and the tools to deliver the Bebo mobile social networking experience over mobile networks, on devices and through rich media.
To date, Bebo has announced the availability of Bebo Open Mobile tools across the areas of mobile Internet, mobile messaging and mobile applications:
– Bebo Open Mobile Internet: Bebo delivers partners the ability to rapidly deploy features on the Bebo mobile site including customised navigation, mobile advertising support and enhanced statistics.
– Bebo Open Mobile messaging: The Mobile Messaging toolkit provides scalable and feature rich two-way messaging directly to Bebo Open Mobile Partners through the messaging interfaces most commonly used by Bebo members.
– Bebo Open Mobile development API: Bebo also introduces a Mobile Development API toolkit to empower Bebo Open Mobile Partners to create innovative applications, widgets and other interfaces to directly serve the Bebo community.
The growth in page views has been seen across both Core Partners and Standard Partners of the Bebo Open Mobile program. On February 2 this year, Bebo announced O2 UK as its first Core Bebo Open Mobile partner and reported over a 60%* monthly increase in Bebo page views on its network in December 2008. On February 25, 2009, Bebo announced the extension of the Bebo Open Mobile program to all major operators in Canada including Fido, Rogers Wireless and Virgin Mobile Canada and announced that Canadian traffic to the Bebo website grew 43%* in January as a result.
Bebo says it expects to make further announcements regarding Bebo Open Mobile partners and initiatives throughout the coming year.