Azercell to boost mobile content uptake with the launch of 'Simurq'

Azercell, Azerbaijan's biggest mobile operator has launched 'Simurq,' an innovative new way for subscribers to discover and buy mobile content. Simurq – which is Russian for 'Phoenix' uses the idle screen of the mobile phone and is powered by Celltick's LiveScreen Media.

Simurq actively, yet non-intrusively, broadcasts content teasers directly to the idle screen of subscribers' phones, promoting its full content catalogue. Teasers appear silently and are free. They include news headlines, sport reports, weather updates, music stories, gossip, games, multimedia content and more. Teasers are timed to coincide with 'idle-time' for consumers – when they are commuting or during lunch break. Users access additional premium content following a teaser with two clicks from promotion to transaction – far quicker than the industry average of 15.

"Instead of waiting for subscribers to find and access content, we want to bring it to them," says Ulviyya Mir-Qasimova, CMO of Azercell. "Celltick's LiveScreen platform provides such a compelling service as it helps users discover content they wouldn't otherwise look for. Simurq is one of the keys to our strategy of increasing mobile content usage across the network. We expect to see a sharp rise in content uptake with Simurq's launch."

Stephen Dunford, CEO of Celltick comments on Azercell joining Celltick's expanding customer group: "Azercell has built a strong reputation for being an innovative operator which provides its customers with original, high-value services. Powered by Celltick's LiveScreen Media technology, Simurq will help Azercell hit the next level in the content market. Azercell are also considering using the service as a mobile advertising media. Simurq will increase revenues by making it easy for subscribers to access high-value content which is relevant to them."

Azercell is the first company in the Fintur group to deploy Celltick's LiveScreen technology. Fintur Holdings' shareholders are TeliaSonera (58.55%) and Turkcell (41.45%). Fintur is a leading provider of mobile telecommunications services in the Eurasian emerging markets through its operations in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Moldova. The Company's network coverage spans over 23 million people.

Celltick Technologies is the world leader in idle-screen applications and mobile interactive broadcast. Over 35 million subscribers around the world already use the company's products, which allow mobile operators to deliver value added services to the mass market, simply and intuitively. The company is headquartered in London, has an R&D centre in Israel and offices in China, India, Russia and Latin America.

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