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New Call Telecom acquires Asian mobile messaging brand Nimbuzz
[October 30, 2014]

New Call Telecom acquires Asian mobile messaging brand Nimbuzz


(M2 PressWIRE Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) London-based New Call Telecom today announced the acquisition of Nimbuzz, a fast-growing Indian mobile technology brand with more than 200m users across the globe. Offering similar services to WhatsApp, Nimbuzz has user base throughout South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa and their revenues have doubled every year for the last three years. WhatsApp, which has a reported 600m users, was acquired for $19bn earlier this year.



Nimbuzz offers a range of award-winning mobile messaging, voice over IP and mobile advertising services. The company processes more than 1bn VoIP call minutes per month, more than 100bn messages per month and operates one of the largest mobile advertising platforms in South Asia and the MENA region. The acquisition of a 70 per cent stake in the company comes on the back of New Call's recent announcement of a huge growth in UK customers, up 227% year-on-year and turnover increasing at roughly 20m million per annum.

New Call was established by CEO Nigel Eastwood after a management buy-in of the business from its US parent company, PTGi. In 2013, the economist, entrepreneur, investor and leading expert on emerging markets, Dr Jerome Booth became Chairman. Dr Booth, owner of investors New Sparta, has controlling interests in a number of fast-growing companies including Icon Film Distribution.


Nigel Eastwood, CEO, New Call Telecom says: "I am delighted to welcome Nimbuzz to the New Call International family of companies. I'm very excited by the acquisition not only because Nimbuzz is a vibrant, growing business that understands its customers, but also because its large and loyal user-base will allow for a rapid adoption of future Over-The-Top Content and Apps for both Wi-Fi and Home Broadband in India - and in other parts of the world. Its technology and connections with local advertisers are also extremely valuable and they are the key to monetising the Wi-Fi network which is currently being rolled out in India." Chairman Dr Jerome Booth says: "We see huge potential in India. The Indian Government is targeting 600 million broadband users by 2020 and New Call is set to become a very significant player in this exploding market. With e-commerce newly arrived in India, we hope to generate and expand a number of new and traditional revenue streams across our growing International telecoms business. Our Nimbuzz acquisition is just the start!" According to Mr Vikas Saxena, CEO, Nimbuzz: "We are excited to be part of the New Call group which is quickly building a global telecom conglomerate based on promising new technologies that the Smartphone era is bringing. Nimbuzz has played a pioneering role in shaping consumer habits on messaging and voice services in a smartphone and data centric telecom world. It's a great opportunity for us to play the central role in New Call's vision of building and monetizing Asia's smartest Wi-Fi based data network, starting from India." For further information: Jordan Greenaway, Right Angles PR +44 845 388 8875 Email: Jordan dot Greenaway at 90degrees dot co do uk Notes to Editors: About New Call Telecom New Call Telecom recently established a company in the Netherlands as a platform for it's International acquisitions. The business is planning further acquisitions in India and the UK, group revenues are projected to pass $200m during 2015. New Call Telecom in the UK is based in London and part of the New Sparta Group of companies. New Call has it's contact centre in Nelson Lancashire, and business support service centre in New Delhi, India, New Call Telecom was founded in 2010 when its chief executive Nigel Eastwood led a management buyout of the business from its US parent PTGi. With over 750,000 annual subscribers, New Call Telecom today is a price leader in the UK residential telecom market through its newly renamed product Fuel Broadband, offering great value phone and broadband packages, and Planet Talk, Just Dial and Rate Buster, the low cost international calls services.

About Nimbuzz Nimbuzz. is a multi-award winning technology company offering proprietary cross-platform instant messaging , VoIP Calling & Advertising platform for smartphones, tablets and personal computers. Nimbuzz has been backed by Mangrove Capital Partners, one of the world's leading Venture Capital Funds within the telecommunications sector - the first investor in Skype, and current lead investor in FreedomPop, the fastest growing free mobile data service in the US. Mangrove becomes a shareholder in the new venture.

About New Sparta New Sparta is the private office of Dr. Jerome Booth, economist, entrepreneur, investor, commentator and leading expert on emerging markets. The name encapsulates the passion and focus of New Sparta's business philosophy. New Sparta has invested in a range of businesses in telecoms, film, journalism, publishing and insurance. Synergies exist between several of the business sectors, in particular between telecoms/broadband and film/media. The New Sparta portfolio of companies is currently expanding further within the existing business sectors, including into emerging markets, where group executives have particular experience.

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