Smart buys 80% of Wolfpac

Cellular leader Smart Communications Inc. has acquired an 80- percent interest in the business of Wolfpac, a leading Philippine mobile content provider.

Smart president and CEO Napoleon Nazareno said the acquisition is in line with Smart’s efforts to maintain its leadership in wireless services. "Integrating the capabilities of the country’s leading content and applications developer into Smart enhances our ability to provide a steady supply of innovative services for our customers," he said.

Wolfpac has won recognition for developing innovative and lucrative mobile applications. It has twice been cited by the GSM Association as the "Best Wireless Applications Developer". The GSMA is the global association promoting GSM which consists of over 600 cellular carriers and equipment manufacturers.

Under the transaction, WolfPac’s incumbent management will continue to run the firm. Smart will tap WolfPac to develop local content and applications, including platform development and serving overseas markets.

The acquisition does not, however, preclude Smart from working with other content providers or for that matter, from developing its own platforms such as the world-first services Smart Money m-commerce system, Smart Load and Pasa Load.

Smart has aggressively developed its wireless services to win subscribers from its launch of GSM in 1999. Since then, the company has introduced well over 200 different wireless services.

These range from various news and information services, location-based services, games and entertainment, mobile banking and mobile commerce services, among others.