Connect2Media gains foothold in US market through acquisition of Sennari

London, UK, 23 March 2010 Connect2Media, the UK's largest independent digital entertainment publisher, announced today its acquisition of US business Sennari, a market leader in prize incentivized games for mobile phones. The agreement, which includes all of Sennari’s games services and operational assets, provides Connect2Media with a US presence for the first time allowing the company to better address the growing market requirement for a range of mobile entertainment services and applications. As part of the move, Sennari’s Founder and President Mike Cartabiano will now head up Connect2Media’s operator-led distribution business in North America.

Prior to the acquisition, Connect2Media had only been present in the US market through third party distribution channels, having no direct representation with operators. While providing Connect2Media with a foundation on which to build its business with US operator customers, Sennari also brings its established PrizePlay® platform and games to Connect2Media’s mobile entertainment offering, including the company’s mobile customer relationship management tools (mCRM).

"As technology evolution continues, mobile gaming is becoming so much more than a one-time download experience," said Eric Hobson, CEO of Connect2Media. "With social games and 'Freemium' and advertising driven models becoming a part of the mobile experience, we are committed to broadening choice for users everywhere. Our milestone partnership with Sennari gives us much more than access to the US market and we anticipate that the PrizePlay platform will be a crucial tool in developing new models based around advertising, community and rewards delivering new ways to help our operator customers engage and retain users."

Part of Sennari’s Prize Play offering is a suite of games offered on a 'Freemium' model with in-game prizes to encourage repeat play. Currently deployed with Verizon Wireless in the US, it is specifically designed to increase consumer loyalty and revenue potential by enabling all forms of consumer relationship building within mobile content applications. Features include in-game transactions that involve storing points, currencies, tokens, or coupons; pay-per-play or tournament style gaming models; in-game prizing; friend-based referral programs and SMS campaign promotion.

Mike Cartabiano, Sennari Founder added: "Over the years I have played an active role in building Sennari into a successful business, guiding the company to becoming a direct publisher on Verizon Wireless and a master vendor of enterprise development services. I welcome this agreement with Connect2Media as the beginning of a new chapter of growth and development and I look forward to highlighting the hidden value of gaming to new customers as part of an intelligent approach to marketing and customer engagement."

The PrizePlay platform has benefitted from recent substantial investment in developing it further, making it one of the most advanced in the industry. The timing of Connect2Media's acquisition coincides with changes to Apple’s rules which permit sweepstakes and contests as part of games on the App Store.