Chikka Asia inks 'interconnection' deal with Google
Feb 16, 2006
Updated 03:27pm (Mla time)
Erwin Lemuel Oliva eoliva@inq7.net
INQ7.net
PHILIPPINE-based technology firm Chikka Asia Inc. will soon be part of a Google "federation" of instant messaging services that will be "interconnected" with Google Talk.
Christopher Sacca, head of special projects of Google Inc., revealed during the eServices Philippines conference in Manila that the company was already working on integrating Google Talk with Chikka's own mobile instant messaging service.
Chito Bustamante, chief operating officer of Chikka Asia Inc., confirmed the collaboration.
"Chikka Asia is the only company in the Philippines that is now part of the federation. It is an interconnection [deal] between Chikka and Google Talk. Google has created this federation of communities that will allow communication with other communities," Bustamante said.
Chikka Asia Inc. has about 30 million registered users, mostly Filipinos sending instant messages from their phones to PCs and vice versa.
Bustamente said that Google was primarily interested in Chikka Asia's technology, which has been patented.
"It is a good alignment between a strong company and a local one. We share the same vision of bringing together communities. Our technology should complement theirs, and right now there is an ongoing engagement in technical aspects of interconnection," Bustamante added.
The Chikka Asia executive said that the deal between the two companies was consummated a few months ago.
He said that the deal involved no investments, but both companies are expected to share technology and intellectual property as they go about with the interconnection deal.
"We're not thinking about being bought yet. But the first engagement with us was related to our technology. Unlike Yahoo that buys communities, Google buys technologies and the people behind the technology," Bustamante said.
Sacca said that Google is always in search of firms that have compelling technology that people would like to use.
©2006 www.inq7.net all rights reserved
No comments:
Post a Comment