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VAS TOP 10: #7 CanvasM―Shaping the VAS Ecosystem

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VoicenData Bureau
New Update

In 2006, CanvasM took shape due to the determination of Motorola, Tech Mahindra, and Mahindra Satyam to test the waters of the dynamic VAS market. CanvasM has emerged as one of the key contributors in shaping the VAS ecosystem. The company is spearheaded by Jagdish Mitra, chief executive officer, who came with over 15 years of rich experience in various areas, including business development, IT program management, and marketing. CanvasM's major focus is on VAS applications across multi-access networks, including fixedline, cable, wireless, Wi-Fi, WiMax, GSM, CDMA, and UMTS.

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The company offers services in various segments such as system integration, application hosting and outsourcing services, service delivery platform, mobile virtual network enabler (MVNE) services, content aggregation, content hosting and delivery, OSS/BSS integration with VAS applications, application engineering and certification, and joint go-to-market programs. It serves different segments of the ecosystem such as global telecom service providers, content owners, media houses, and application vendors and developers. CanvasM gets a competitive edge from its state-of-the-art lab to demonstrate VAS applications, global support and presence, facilitation of third party VAS application development and deployment, and integration of Global Applications Management Architecture (GAMA)-a service delivery platform and framework. The prominent solutions offered by the company include commerce enabled platform (CEP), which offers a range of real-time transactions. It provides mobile banking services on its unique and patented mobile transaction platform (MTP). Its mobile couponing application helps the registered users to select the preferred category of purchase. Coupons specific to the categories are sent to the user. During purchase of any of the chosen category, the user can redeem the acquired coupons from the counter.

The company functions through many engagement models such as traditional license based, project based, transaction based, or revenue sharing based models. These models ensure lower barriers of entry for its customers. It has focused on the models of build, operate, and manage VAS solution. The organization draws upon Motorola's significant investment in R&D as a technology leader and Tech Mahindra's expertise in integration and service delivery. The company has targeted APAC, MEA, Europe, and North America regions; it has set up a leadership and sales team in these regions. It is working with tier-1 and -2 providers in the US, Middle East, Europe, and India.

CanvasM operates on an open-innovation concept through 3 programs. Firstly, on an 'Idea Factory', a platform for all employees of the Mahindra Group to post their ideas about VAS segments, turning mobile end users into customer satisfaction consultants who can tell us exactly what users want and need from their VAS. Secondly, it has initiated the InnoVAS University Outreach Program to cooperate with colleges and universities across India to generate new ideas. Lastly, the company's ideas on apps platform-it organizes collaboration with external developers to create new VAS products. It intends to take content delivery service to customers located worldwide. Therefore, this solution creates tremendous opportunity for CanvasM-not only in the telecom industry-but also in industries such as media/broadcast, where rich content is stored.

In June 2011, CanvasM joined hands with Rashtriya Rozgar Mission to offer employment services by connecting job seekers and employers directly through phone. To avail this service, customers have to dial 1860 180 1100 to register and get details of the service. This service targets blue collar workers primarily. At this point, the service provides jobs in Delhi NCR region. The pan-India rollout of the services would be extended from the second quarter of 2012. The service has already collated a database of 25,000 job seekers and 500 employers, with more than 4,000 jobs on board across 100 categories and 200 vacancies are from Mahindra Group companies itself. In December 2010, the company tied up with Qualcomm and established the first 3G device test lab in Noida (India). This lab provides quality testing to 3G handsets and devices for compliance with regulatory, technical, and international performance standards.

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