NMS Communications has formed a new division to take the company’s lead in delivering mobile personalization services to operators.

The new division, LiveWire Mobile, is expected to allow the Massachusetts based-NMS to provide the value-added services market an increased focus and individual brand for its distinct operator and developer business areas. No date was given for the new service's release.

Bob Schechter, NMS Communications chairman and CEO said the company created the LiveWire Mobile division to more clearly communicate “our value in the mobile services arena and thereby help our business grow more efficiently.  Ultimately, and for consumers, LiveWire Mobile enables a whole new era of mobile life-styling,” he said.

The new services are designed to empower subscribers to create a personalized mobile identity and experience with today’s existing communication mediums, according to the company.

"The first wave of personalization services was led predominantly by ringtones and wallpapers,” said Seamus McAteer, senior analyst with M:Metrics (News - Alert). “As the growth in these services slows, we see a new category on the rise: ringback tones.”

For example, in the U.S., ringback adoption grew 29 percent over the past year with 10.8 million subscribers, according to M:Metrics.

"Ringbacks leverage the operator's core asset, the network, and allows them to monetize it in new ways," said McAteer. “Operators can expect these services to drive subscriptions, content consumption and advertising revenue.”

LiveWire Mobile’s Ringback service is already deployed with over 30 operators around the world, one way or another “touching” more than 185 million subscribers, according to the company.

LiveWire Mobile’s approach to delivering services consists of two key elements— the Infuse Personalization Platform and Achieve Marketing Services. The Infuse Personalization Platform is a complete end-to-end service delivery platform, according to the company.

This platform leverages LiveWire’s network and handset domain expertise, providing a complete personalization capability that encompasses user experience, content management, powerful personalization engines and targeted marketing. Achieve Marketing Services deliver strategies that build strong subscriber service adoption and usage, providing operators the optimal level of pre- and post-launch support.

The new division will be led by Joel Hughes, who was appointed the vice president and general manager of platform solutions for NMS in 2006, after the company acquired Hughes' former employer, handset applications provider Openera Technologies Inc. of Lexington. Hughes was also a co-founder of SnowShore Networks in 2000, which was acquired by Brooktrout (News - Alert) Inc. in 2004.

Tim Gray is a Web Editor for TMCnet, covering news in the IP communications, call center and customer relationship management industries. To see more of his articles, please visit Tim Gray’s columnist page.