Software firm Myriad joins social networking rush

Tue Sep 15, 2009 8:22am EDT

* Myriad buys social phonebook maker Xumii

* Mobile social networking seen as a major opportunity

By Tarmo Virki, European technology correspondent

HELSINKI, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Wireless software maker Myriad (MYRN.S) bought mobile social networking firm Xumii on Tuesday, joining a growing number of firms seeking to tap the potentially lucrative sector.

Xumii enables access to social networking services from most phones, integrating phone contacts, social networks and instant messaging services into a single "social phonebook".

Earlier this week, Southeast Asia's biggest telecom operator Singapore Telecommunications (STEL.SI) said it would target young consumers keen on social networking with a new Twitter-phone from INQ Mobile. [nLE459618]

Last week, the top cellphone maker Nokia (NOK1V.HE) said it had bought a small U.S. media sharing and messaging firm Plum Ventures, while social networking features play a key role in Motorola's attempted comeback. [nLB712519][nN10404148]

"All of the major mobile operators and phone manufacturers are now eager to ride the wave of social networking," Simon Wilkinson, chief executive of Swiss-based Myriad, told Reuters.

"They're excited because of the size of this wave - Facebook already has 65 million mobile users and we'll probably see a billion mobile social networking users within just a few years - making it the first 'killer app' since SMS."

The majority of visits to online social networks are still made by people sitting at a computer telling their friends where they are and how they are feeling, exchanging opinions on their favourite movies and music or uploading pictures.

However, companies like INQ are showing that the spontaneous and personal nature of much of that communication also lends itself to the handset.

(Editing by Lin Noueihed)

((tarmo.virki@thomsonreuters.com, +358-9-680 50 235, Reuters messaging: tarmo.virki.reuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: MOBILE NETWORKING/

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