It’s been confirmed that yesterday Smart Communications has bought Chikka.com for some undisclosed amount. Two top executives from Chikka Asia Inc. posted updates on their Twitter account about this development.
This has long been rumored but we’ve finally gotten word that they’ve both signed off on the agreement yesterday.
Dennis Mendiola is the Founder and Chief Imagination Officer of Chikka:
Gio Bacareza is the Business Development Director of Chikka:
I’m still getting some more details and will update this post as I get them.
Chikka Asia, Inc. is a wireless application service provider, better known for creating the world’s first instant messenger to fully integrate mobile features via SMS, the Chikka Messenger. It has about 38 million registered users, including mobile subscribers from network operators worldwide and is interoperable with Google Talk .
Update: According to multiple sources, the deal was in the vicinity of Php750 million.
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I doubt if it is a good thing. The good old days of free texting from pc to globe, sun, and smart may be over! Smart has its greedy intentions for buying chikka.
patay tayo nyan. siguradong di na libre ang chikka. smart pa. eh talagang smart yang mga yan.
Paano na po kaya ang free text nila?
This would be interesting. Hope it would still be free.
magiging free pa kaya ang chikka?
38 million registered users? pag nakareceive ka ng chikka message automatically registered ka na sa server nila bibigyan ka na agad ng password. Hateful behavior in my opinion. Ang dami ko na kinagalitan na sa hotline ng mga telco kasi sabi ko alisin nyo ako sa chikka, i don’t want to receive them, pero ayaw pa rin nila iblock…
i think smart just bought chikka for the database records. after all, their uzzap is going quite well. but anyways, i still think my little kuripotxt is better than chikka :P wahaha
the only people really happy about this development are dennis and his group, congrats on your new found riches.
This is not exactly like Google buying AdMob, which to me is such painfully obvious move by Google for even more global domination.
Chikka was hot with potential a few years ago (which is like a several decades in the IT world), now it seems to have lagged in it’s evolvement and lost a lot of it’s relevance. Messaging now is even more integrated than it was before. I totally agree with Abe, it’s all about being mobile and connected.
A little skeptical with this move, but Smart is Smart. They won’t invest unless there is a ton of money involved.
greedy corporations hehehe…
@christopher:
well, yeah Smart won’t buy a non-income generating product/company. But it’s also possible that they would shutdown/close Chikka’s operation. It happens in the corporate world – they buy you then shut you down! If you are becoming a threat, then might as well eliminate you from the competition. That’s the worst case scenario. ;)
Good to know that Smart is expanding its services! :D
But I think this will conflict with their “other” chat network/free sms product – Uzzap. I wonder how Smart will market it with their product line up.
I think smart won’t buy a non-income generating product/company.
I think this is a win-win move for both parties =) And its consumers will get more, with expanded mobile services.
Err I wonder what’ll happen to their free text service?
I am not sure if this is a good move. we’ll see. There were free internet based free sms before that did not work.
it’s about time!
will they still allow free texting to globe and sun cell networks?
ow.. Thats y i cant connect to chikka since yesterday.. mybe der uprading or somthing.. i just hope this merge between smart and chikka will be good & w/o a catch to its service in the future..
& hope the app & service will still be FREE!
Wow! This is good news! And this adds portfolio to Smart’s Services. I’m sure with the integration of these two companies, there would be other services that Smart would offer to its subscribers soon.
Interesting bit of news… Will the Chikka service be expanded to Western territories then?