BCCL invests Rs 21.5 cr in World Phone

NEW DELHI: Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd (BCCL) has invested Rs 21.5 crore in World Phone Internet Services, which is a leading internet telephony services provider in the country.

World Phone Internet Services, promoted by WPI group, a US corporation, is a Category ‘A’ Internet Service Provider and internet telephony services provider. World Phone was the first player to acquire a ‘Class A’ Internet Telephony Service Provider license in April 2002.

World Phone has a unique business model of retailing Voice over IP phone Instruments through Strategic Business Partners (SBPs). SBP’s are already present in Mumbai, Ahmadabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Chandigarh, Pune, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Punjab.

In order to increase marketing penetration, it is now adding SBP’s in unrepresented areas also. By the end of 2007, target is to raise the number from 14 to 30 with increased presence in Kerala, Rajasthan, Punjab, Himachal, Gujarat, MP and U.P.

The company has Infrastructure in India and USA, which enables it a competitive advantage over other players in terms of cost and delivery, World Phone said in a statement. “The company plans to launch new products like Video Conferencing, IP-PBX, Wireless Point to Point Connectivity and International Travel card by anticipating market needs,” its chairman Aditya Ahluwalia added.

Spice Mobiles net up
Spice Mobiles has posted a jump in revenue and profits for the quarter ending June 2007. Net profit rose to Rs 3.87 crore, compared with net loss of Rs 3.10 crore in the corresponding quarter of last year.