chinadotcom Mobile Interactive Corporation (CDC Mobile), a wholly-owned mobile and portal subsidiary of chinadotcom corporation, today announced its subsidiary Go2joy, a rapidly growing and profitable interactive voice response (IVR) and SMS (text message) services provider with TV and mobile payment service partnerships in China, has signed an exclusive agreement with Beijing Yang Shi Information Technology Co. Ltd. (Beijing Yang Shi), to launch its services on Channel 5, a TV sports channel on China's state-owned national television station.
Beijing Yang Shi is a majority owned subsidiary of China's state-owned TV station and is responsible for the mobile value added services of the state-owned TV station. The services launched on Channel 5 provide the latest news and games related to a variety of sports, including the hottest European soccer leagues, live reports on NBA scores, golf and volleyball matches as well as sporting highlights.
Go2joy's exclusive IVR partnership with China's national state-owned television station, through Beijing Yang Shi, provides CDC Mobile with an additional nationwide distribution platform for the distribution of its mobile-related services and products, as well as strengthening and expanding the Company's marketing capabilities through China's state television network. CDC Mobile completed the acquisition of Go2joy in April 2004. The acquisition of Go2joy will strengthen CDC Mobile's IVR service product offerings in China and further expand its mobile applications business in China and continue to build scale by leveraging upon its existing subscription base.
Go2joy provides interactive mobile technology and services with nationwide connectivity with China Mobile and China Unicom. It is one of the first five IVR service providers to receive a national IVR service license from China Mobile Communications Corporation (China Mobile) in China. With the mobile IVR service technology, Go2joy subscribers are able to dedicate songs, leave voice messages for TV program hosts and send personalized karaoke recordings to friends via mobile phone. IVR service technology provides an easy way for mobile phone users to request services and also expands service offerings in voice beyond text-based SMS.
In addition, Go2joy offers a unique mobile payment service (Mobile Wallet) through an exclusive partnership for Internet-related services with Union Mobile Pay Ltd. (UMPAY), a joint venture between China Mobile and China UnionPay Co., Ltd. Mobile Wallet is the official mobile payment platform authorized by China Mobile to handle third party collections of non-mobile related services and also provides a payment gateway for mobile users and innovative payment solutions for merchants.