Bubbly adds voice to blogging

Tired of texting, tweeting or updating messages on Facebook? Try the new platform in social messaging, voice blogging

Tired of texting, tweeting or even updating messages on Facebook? Try the new platform in social messaging, voice blogging.

Bubble Motion, one of the leading voice blogging service providers is looking at expanding its Indian customer base and launched 'Bubbly' its iPhone application. Bubbly is a social messaging service where people share SMS and voice updates with family, friends, fans and followers. The company expects a 50 per cent increase in its customer base by the end of this year.

Bubbly, which is currently 'mobile-centric' in its approach will also be launched for the Android platform by the end of March. The company which is already providing its services on Vodafone, Airtel, Idea, Reliance and Tata Docomo, is in talks with Aircel to introduce its services in its network.

"The iPhone application is just one of the initiative to increase the user base by targeting the smartphone market. We would also be looking at getting more Indian regional filmstars to voice blog, especially those from the south and east," said Thomas Clayton, CEO and President told Business Standard.

Voice-blogging so far is a phone service that allows people to share status updates in their own voice. It is very much like Twitter’s, only it is not text and uses voice blogging and mobile phones. A user records his/her voice update into their phone, and their friends or followers are notified by an SMS and prompted to click and listen.

Clayton plans to use the current election fever in India to gain more users. The company is planning to rope in individuals from the fields of religion and politics into the service. Several sportsmen including an internationally acclaimed cricketer were also in the process of entering this platform, according to him.

The Singapore-based Bubble Motion is not new to the Indian market. With a present user base of 15 million, almost eight million users are from India. An average 4.5 messages are sent by individuals weekly through this platform. This service is currently available in four countries including Japan, India, Indonesia and Philippines. There is no charge to follow the voice updates from general public. However, a premium is to be paid to access celebrity posts.

Clayton opined that this model was extremely successful in India more than other nations, because the celebrity fan following here is more intense. "Moreover, this service is not restricted to any particular platform, making it easily accessible to the masses. I believe that individuals would rather prefer to hear what a celebrity says than merely reading his views," he informed.

The social networking tools like Facebook and Twitter have in fact added to the popularity of Bubbly, said Clayton. This has been attributed to the fact that Bubbly is integrated with the above social networks, wherein any audio post on Bubbly is automatically displayed on Facebook and Twitter.

Clayton believes that though it will take some time for voice blogging to become the next big activity among the urban youth, there is a good trajectory to begin with. "We will let the service to grow on its own, as awareness and popularity of it increases," he concluded.

Bubble Motion has investments from SingTel Innov8, Sequoia Capital, Palomar Ventures, and NGC.