Simplifying, value innovation and customer benefit is key when Mobile Nordic develop next generation mobile services

As a first step to fulfilling this mission, Mobile Nordic`s founders Inge Andre Sandvik and Rudi Rørstad started Mobile CTI in 2005. This company developed a new approach and business model to number and name search. They simplified a manual search process that was very costly for the end users, by giving the them a very easy to use mobile application that did the search automatically and gave name and address on incoming calls before they answered their phone.

The service quickly became a big hit and a large percentage of mobile consumers in Norway were downloading “1881 Mobilsøk” to their mobile phones.  The service did not only win the consumers confident, but also the press and the mobile industry. 

This value innovation introduced not only a better technology, but also a price model that were more aligned with what the consumers wanted. Instead of paying per search, the “1881 mobilsøk” was introduced with a low flat rate per month and unlimited use. That gave the consumer much more value both from the usability point of view and the cost for using the service. This business model and mobile service was quickly copied by other players and is now starting to become a standard in this market area. 

The leading directory company in Norway, Opplysningen 1881 and its owner Telenor, was involved in funding the company and had an option of buying Mobile CTI. They quickly realized its value and acquired the company in 2006. The founders did not want to stop with Norway and clearly stated its eager to launch the service in new markets internationally and that gave the birth of Mobile Nordic as it is today. Mobile Nordic has established strategic partnerships with the leading content owners in the Nordic region .

The company has also established an eco system where partners such as Nokia, SonyEricsson and leading mobile operator Telenor, 3, Telia and Tele2. New exiting partnerships is under way and will be launched in early 2008. The mobile search services that is now in the market, is know under brand names such as “118 adressboken” and “Telenor Adressboken” and is currently launched in Sweden.

The rest of the Nordic countries will follow in Q1 2008. Europe and the US market is next in line for Mobile Nordics journey and the company have already made significant steps to ensure that the innovative search service will reach mobile consumers in many new markets. Mobile Nordic will continue its quest to help mobile consumer by launching new and existing services that will simplify the mobile consumer’s daily life.