TIGHT NOW, MANY OF THE mobile users are a disgruntled lot. While there are some who have to waste time and money to zero-in on to the exact package to satisfy their urge to have the latest mobile content such as ring-tones, wallpapers, caller tunes etc., or request one's friend to transfer the favourite content. Also, there are others, who fret because the operator has dumped on to his/her mobile phone a caller-tune or a ring-tone which the person does not like.

Soon, all this will be a thing of the past as a mobile retail chain has drawn up con¬crete plans to roll-out the whole range of mobile content through 10,000 retail out¬lets within the next two years and capture the 18-35 year-old mobile users, who are the major consumers for such services.

Media Magic Pvt. Ltd. is all set to roll out retail points for mobile content across the country. The company will sell mobile content in the form of games, applications, movies, music, wallpapers and ring-tones through its 87 "Mobile Magic" outlets in 66 cities, other mobile retailers and manned kiosks, with a target oflO,OOO retail outlets by 2010. Such a business proposition is expected to be successful since there is very low bandwidth available in the country and that coupled with the fact that people are some what averse to use credit cards to purchase mobile content online.

Though, basic mobile content such as ring-tones and wallpapers are currently being sold through SMS, but content like songs and video would require a GPRS, 3G technologies or better still a mobile retail outlet where one can select one's favourite content. The company will offer pre-paid and pre-loaded cards or one can buy from the retailer's PC at the outlet, where after receiving the payment the retailer can transfer the content from his computer to the customeris mobile memory card, or via Bluetooth. The content is expected to be priced between Rs.3 for a wallpaper to Rs.50 for a movie.

To facilitate wider and faster reach, the company is eyeing a tie-up with Cafe Coffee Day and Planet M to set up manned touch screen kiosks. On the content front, Media magic has partnered with Hungama Mobiles and Shemaroo (for movies).
While the government dilly-dallies on 3G technology, the private players have taken a lead and the first such retail store is already operational in Mumbai.