UK-based VAS enabler for mass devices, Synchronica has comes with its new Mobile Gateway 5 which is equipped to handle mobile instant instant messaging (IM), web feeds, and social networking services (SNS) with push email and synchronization services.

The Gateway is compatible with industry standards including IMAP, IMPS, SyncML, and ActiveSync.

From an operator perspective, the solution allows to provide a broad range of mobile messaging services from a single platform aimed at increasing data usage and subscriber loyalty

According to a recent report from Frost & Sullivan on the mobile IM market in Africa and Latin America, the total market for mobile instant messaging solutions is estimated to grow to almost 500 million users by 2015 from almost zero in 2008. This represents a compound annual growth rate of 54 percent over the next five to six years in these regions alone.

Carsten Brinkschulte, CEO of Synchronica, comments, "With Mobile Gateway 5, we are providing a one-stop solution for next-generation mobile messaging. While our competitors are busy replicating the social network sites with proprietary clients for a rather limited number of high-end devices, we are using a clientless, industry standards-based approach to connect users to email, IM, SNS, and web feeds - offering a true mass market solution with the largest possible addressable market and service uptake. Mobile Gateway 5 provides operators in particular in emerging markets with a solution that can significantly increase revenues from data traffic and can help to combat the number one problem - churn."

Another report by Informa estimates the mobile social networking market will undergo substantial growth over the next three years. At the end of 2008, there were approximately 92.5 million mobile social networking users globally, with conservative estimates putting this number at 641.6 million by 2013.

IMAP and SyncML, to integrate with the native email and synchronization clients built into more than 1.5 billion devices from major handset manufacturers including Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, Motorola, and others.

Mobile Gateway 5 also supports the standards IMPS and XMPP and connects to the IM client built into handsets from Nokia, Sony Ericsson, and other leading device manufacturers, says Synchronica.