Ericsson’s partner mBit, a Singapore-based mobile-service provider, is providing a peer-to-peer (P2P) mobile platform for reliable, secure digital content distribution to mobile devices. 

Established in 2007, mBit is funded by mTouche Technology Berhad, a Pan-Asian mobile service provider listed in Malaysia. 

See Chun Yan, CEO of mBit, says the company’s product, mBit Network, enables P2P search and file sharing over mobile and wired networks using IMS/SIP infrastructure. The mBit protocol ensures reliable downloading, while protecting copyright of content and user privacy. It can track and charge for branded shared content, and it lets users send their own content to individuals, groups, or social networks. 

One operator benefit of mBit Network is secure, reliable super-distribution of user-generated and premium content to increase ARPU. Furthermore, mBit provides an ad-sponsored model to encourage service adoption and targets tech-savvy users requiring high data rates. 

Chun Yan says he and his colleagues saw the potential of IMS to bridge the gap between IP-based networks and telecommunication companies’ core networks at an early stage. 

“And IMS is standards-based, so we do not have to worry about interoperability, which translates to less complexity for operators,” he says. “It connects mobile phones to the internet world, making services and experiences previously only available on PCs also accessible via the mobile phone.”

Chun Yan says they evaluated the long-term feasibility and market needs for various P2P services, such as instant messaging (IM), VoIP, network gaming and file sharing, and decided to focus on file sharing. And in December 2004, when the company’s core business was still systems integration for operators, it started doing research for the mBit solution.

“Our vision for mBit Network is a P2P content search and distribution network that transfers large amounts of data in a secure and reliable way, across any IP-based devices and networks, leveraging on fixed-mobile convergence,” Chun Yan says.

The main reason why mBit chose to partner with Ericsson, says Chun Yan, was because of its customer base, and because it has been responsible for more IMS deployments than any other suppliers.

“And Ericsson is very strong in systems integration and understands what we are doing very well,” he says. “Ericsson helped us test our solution, on top of IMS infrastructure, in the company’s cyberlab in Malaysia, and it has proven to be one of the most reliable and friendly companies we have ever worked with.”

Rolf Carlsson, head of Operations at Ericsson Developer Connection, says: “mBit is a key partner to us. They deliver interesting applications for content sharing using IMS networks.”

One interesting project that mBit is working on is an iPhone version of mBit Network, which was recently completed and will be released very soon.

“We have also recently started working with Ericsson’s team in Saudi Arabia,” Chun Yan says. “This will be the first joint customer case with mBit and Ericsson IMS infrastructure. The country is huge, operators are pushing mobile broadband instead of fixed, and ARPU is amazingly high. Saudi Arabia offers interesting possibilities for our kind of services.”

By Benny Ritzén

mBit