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Thursday » September 14 » 2006

Monsoon helps teams reach out to fan base
Technology developed in Windsor also aids other industries

Dave Hall
Windsor Star

Saturday, September 09, 2006

CREDIT: Nick Brancaccio, Star photo
'GLOBAL REACH': Monsoon Mobile president Tom Martin, left, managing director Vince Dragovic and CEO/CTO Larry Lehoux, right, have many marketing products to offer customers, including personalized letterhead for e-mails.

A Windsor-based company is on the leading edge of the global mobile digital technology industry.

Monsoon Interactive recently signed a licensing agreement with a U.S. mobile technology provider which could be worth as much as $30 million over the next five years.

Established in 2002, the company services professional sports teams, major U.S. colleges, religious organizations, auto dealerships, mortgage brokers, banks, direct sales organizations and real estate companies, among its many clients, and has spent more than $6 million over the past four years developing its technology.

"The clients we deal with have seen the future and they realize we have the capability of bringing marketing, information and advertising to the consumer in a culturally relevant way -- through mobile technology and text messaging," said Monsoon president Tom Martin, who is based in the company's sales office in Toledo.

Monsoon Interactive includes Monsoon Mobile, a mobile marketing company with extensive carrier reach, and Monsoon Email, a provider of e-mail services including custom-designed letterheads, branded e-mails and marketing services.

"We're very well positioned for expansion and we're in an acquisition-mode because we own the technology and we currently have zero debt," said Vince Dragovic, a major shareholder and president of Elite Security and Protection. "The global reach for this technology is huge and it's all happened right here in Windsor."

The licensing and joint venture agreement with E-fanmail exposes Monsoon's technology to hundreds of sports teams and organizations.

MLB POTENTIAL

"Major League Baseball is in the process of coming on-board as well," Martin said. "The deal's potential is in the tens of millions of dollars and that's with a base hit. If we hit a home run, it's huge."

For a monthly fee, E-fanmail allows fans to send and receive e-mails from their favourite sports teams, using custom-designed letterhead. The technology also includes links for tickets, game audio, photos and sports alerts sent to their cellphones or desktop computers.

Monsoon Email's OnLetterhead division has designed e-mail letterheads for some of the top college sports programs in the U.S.

These include Texas A&M, Bowling Green, Creighton, Duke, Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Mississippi State, Georgia, Colorado, Michigan State, North Carolina, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas. Toledo, Alabama-Birmingham, USC, Winthrop, Tulane, Colorado State and Louisville.

Chris Ducar, assistant coach of the 18-time NCAA-champion women's soccer program at UNC-Chapel Hill, gives a testimonial on the company's website.

"When OnLetterhead first e-mailed me with their product, they immediately had my attention," Ducar wrote.

"As recruiting co-ordinator for our women's soccer team, I knew this is exactly the type of professional-looking e-mail we needed and that it would get the attention of the players we are after."

Each letterhead is individually designed, incorporating the school's logo, photographs of both staff and players, a list of past championships, contact names and numbers.

"While the idea is simple, it's the execution that's far more complex and our technology and technicians make it work across all mobile and digital phone platforms," said company CEO Larry Lehoux. "We have 2,100 different handset configurations in our database and we can make this technology work with all of them -- that's what we provide."

Manchester City, a pro soccer team in England's Premier League, is another client for whom Monsoon provides the mobile phone technology which allows fans to cast their votes for player of the game at all of Man City's games, Lehoux said.

While the sports applications are generating the most interest, "the potential is limitless and cuts across all sectors where there are products to be sold, consumers to be contacted, donors to be tapped into and sales pitches to be made," Martin said.

"We work with some religious organizations, many of whom are struggling to draw in younger people and keep their congregations active and engaged. These groups have realized you don't reach out to these people through newspaper ads and leaflets, you reach out through text messaging and e-mails."

Other sectors targeted by Monsoon are casino loyalty programs, which would allow gamblers to use mobile phone text messaging technology to access accounts, and mobile gaming.

While sales and marketing are handled through the Toledo office, all the technology has been developed in Windsor by a team of talented programmers, Dragovic said.

"We've all heard talk of developing new knowledge-based industries, well, this is it and it's centred right here in Windsor," said Dragovic, who said the company plans to hire more programmers in the near future.

Besides offices in Windsor and Toledo, Monsoon has distributors in Australia, Nigeria, Africa, Ireland and the Caribbean.

dhall@thestar.canwest.com or 519-255-5777, ext. 408

© The Windsor Star 2006

Business Beat
Dave Hall, Windsor Star
Published: Thursday, September 14, 2006

ENTREPRENEUR ENCOURAGES CREATIVE WINDSOR PEOPLE

Vince Dragovic, a major shareholder in Windsor-based Monsoon Interactive, is hoping the success of the mobile marketing and e-mail service company spurs other local entrepreneurs and creative software programmers to help develop a knowledge-based industry sector in the city.

Dragovic, who is also president of Elite Protection Security Specialists, said "I'm willing to meet and talk to any creative people and help set up an incubator to develop their talents and ideas.

"What we've done with Monsoon which has made us an industry leader in mobile digital technology can be repeated with other creative ideas," said Dragovic.

"All of our technology was developed and continues to be developed in Windsor by a group of very talented, creative people.

"I have to believe there are more out there who just need an opportunity to prove themselves," said Dragovic.

Monsoon consists of Monsoon Mobile and Monsoon Email, a pair of divisions which provide e-mail marketing and promotional services as well as custom-designed e-mail letterhead and text messaging technology to companies, sports teams and universities across North America and Europe.
Dragovic can be reached at 519-945-9975.