The Hindu Business Line : Walt Disney arm in talks with more mobile carriers

The Walt Disney Internet Group (WGIG), part of the entertainment major Walt Disney, is bullish on India extending its reach through personal computers, mobile phones and other entertainment devices such as iPods.

The company, which has thus far partnered three major carriers, Reliance Infocomm, Hutch and Bharti Airtel, is now engaged in parleys with more carriers. It expects to provide access to content from anywhere through multiple devices alongside landlines through their interactive voice response system.

As a part of their effort to offer content that touches consumers in the markets they operate, the group is in the process of localising content. Their early inroads in terms of localisation are being felt already through some games and entertainment content developed here.

The Director of Walt Disney Internet Group, Mr TN Prabhu, said the Internet Group takes care of the new media digital initiatives, including Internet, paid services, gaming and Internet Protocol TV.

With over 1,200 people and operating in 39 countries, it has over 85 plus carrier relationships offering Simulcast—simultaneous telecast of Walt Disney content over the TV and mobile devices.

Cricket crazy

Speaking to Business Line, Mr Prabhu said in a cricket crazy country, we need to offer people that connect them to the game. “In our quest to offer some local flavour to users, we have expanded the scope of interface through Interactive Voice Response System. This means that a consumer is not locked to a service provider, he can just call up even from a land line to access services.”

Apart from cutting down the language barrier, Walt Disney believes in offering ‘boundary less reach’ to a user. This is by offering information over the Internet, mobile devices or even by calling help desk from a land line for voice tunes, colour toons and games.

It is set to reach out some of the mobile comics or mobics which includes Mickey, Pirates of the Caribbean and a few more are in the pipeline. The localisation meant generating content such as Donald Ganga Kinare and offering Disney Cricket where children can play cricket with popular toons.

With tie up with the likes of Reliance Infocomm, WDIG has offered Simulcast of TV series featured on Hungama TV on to the mobile phone.

“In essence the accent is on offering content that relates to people where we serve and also making their task of access swift and easy,” Mr Prabhu explained.

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