GO!ing Mobile... 

Jasmine Lee, left her job, as Head of Corporate Marketing at DiGi, in 2002 to co-found MNC Wireless. MW has a chat with her about life in the fast, mobile, lane.

Oon Yeoh

MW: Does MNC stand for multi-national corporation?
JL: Ha…ha… yes, it could stand for that. Or it could also stand for mobile network communications. Basically, we’re a mobile solutions and content development company, catering to telcos, corporations and even to end-consumers.

MW: You mean you sell some of your products directly to the public?
JL: Yes, we have a website (www.gospecial.com)... there’s all kinds of B2C stuff there. Not just the standard ringtones, wallpapers and games. We’ve also got subscription services and fun picture frames for your digital images… lots of cool stuff.

MW: What’s the coolest mass market service you offer?
JL: We’ve got something called Go!Mail which offers e-mail on the go for any WAP phone. You can read attachments including graphics and PDF files. It automatically downsizes your messages and attachments to fit a phone screen. We offer these on a B2B basis through corporations and telcos.

MW: You must be quite excited about 3G?
JL: Well, right now we are focusing on the mass market. But we are also developing stuff for the future.

MW: Hmm… it doesn’t sound like you are too keen on 3G.
JL: No, we are excited from a tech standpoint but from a consumer standpoint, it’s not gonna happen anytime soon. It won’t be for the mass market until at least a year or two down the road. Its success will be driven by handset affordability. When a 3G phone costs around RM500, that’s when you see mass adoption of 3G.

MW: Is the mobile industry still a fast-growing sector?
JL: Let’s put it this way. We started in 2002 with three people in a shoplot. We broke even in the ninth month and were profitable by the 12th month. We now have 67 employees and will be listed on Mesdaq by the fourth quarter of this year.

MW: What phone does a mobile go-getter like you use?
JL: I have a Sony Ericsson K750 for the same reason all female users choose their phones: Style. For me, form is more important than function except for one specific thing, which I’m very particular about. I need my phone to be easy for sending SMS… easy enough for me to SMS while driving!

MW: What other gadgets do you have?
JL: I have a Sony Clie (PDA), a Cybershot (camera) and Vaio (laptop). I’m a huge Sony supporter.

MW: Your three favourite mobile services?
JL: E-mail, via Go! Mail, of course! 4D results… I’m a big 4D gambler and lately I’ve been winning too. Lastly, picture messaging – I shoot things I experience and send them to friends.
 
MW: Favourite online activity?
JL: I’m an eBay junkie. I buy lots of watches… I’m a watch collector. I sometimes sell watches too, for profit. I also buy fashion items like handbags. Did you know that handbags can grow in terms of value?