Consortium shops for mobile content markets

Export Navigator, a new market research initiative, will distribute creative and interactive content in a number of countries to help Australian content producers determine the best marketing channels.

A consortium of companies including the Australian Interactive Media Industry Association (AIMIA), Kukan Studio, m.Net Corporation and Yahoo!7 is behind the project.

m.Net will be in charge of managing the project whilst AIMIA will coordinate the involvement of the digital content industry.

Kukan will help to provision content for handsets used in export markets and Yahoo7! will assist with market access and distribution strategies. The project has the support of AusIndustry, which is providing funding through its Industry Cooperative Innovation Program.

Paul Daly, Export Navigator project chair, said the emergence of mobile networks as a new medium for the delivery of creative and interactive content represents the beginning of a new age of personal entertainment.

"Australian content producers have the capacity and ability to provide world-class content the global market and capitalize on this emerging opportunity," he said.

"As competing business models for the distribution of mobile content are still being established, there is considerable uncertainty over which approaches are the most successful.

"To ensure Australian content developers have the best opportunity to be successful globally, it is essential that a best practice approach is developed. We can then understand from direct experience what distribution mechanisms are going to be sustainable and yield the best results."

The Export Navigator project is a two-year program and, according to AIMIA CEO John Butterworth, will produce a detailed research report and a 'How-to User Guide' for companies wishing to establish distribution channels in export markets.

Organizations wishing to register for the program can do so at www.aimia.com.au/navigator.