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TeleDNA plans to venture into managed services offerings for MNOs, especially in areas like MMS and cell broad cast.

TeleDNA Communications Pvt Ltd, a US and Bangalore-based mobile VAS solution provider, has raised $10 million from Hyderabad based private equity firm Peepul Capital. TeleDNA plans to venture into managed services/MVNO offerings for mobile network operators (MNO), especially in areas like MMS and cell broad cast. It also plans to create revenue generating VAS applications with mature VAS infrastructure products. TeleDNA will also expand its existing sales and support functions.

"Company will also venture into Managed Services/MVNO offerings with technologies where operators have not made any significant revenues. For example, MMS and CellBroadCast has not been a success story for network operators due to lack of compelling applications, complications around service subscription, device settings and billing plans," said Praveen Nallapothula, Managing Director and CEO TeleDNA.

Telecom regulator TRAI issued its recommendations in August this year to allow MVNOs to start business in India. It has recommended a 74% FDI in MVNOs, and a Rs 150 crore nation-wide licence fee for offering MVNO services. These recommendations are yet to be approved by the department of telecommunications to become policy.

TeleDNA, which was founded in 2001, develops and markets SMS/MMS/WAP based value added service products to mobile network operators. The firm has deployed its short message service center (SMSC) and multimedia messaging service center (MMSC) at several places across the world.

A SMSC is a network element in the mobile telephone network which delivers SMS messages. An MMSC modifies the multimedia content into a format suitable for the receiver.

TeleDNA recently won the contract from BSNL south, north and east zone to supply SMSC and SMS Suit products. It has product installations in 14 other telecom networks around the world and also provides mobile VAS solutions for Indian enterprises. Some of its other clients include Aircel, MTNL, BPL Mobile, Standard Chartered, IndusInd Bank and TV9 (which is also backed by Peepul Capital).

This is Peepul's second investment in mobile related services in recent times. Last month it announced an investment of Rs 100 crore in mobile retail chain UniverCell. Peepul Capital, previously known as iLabs, currently has $325 million under management and raised a $214 million fund last year. Some its other investments are waste management company Kam-Avida and a pharmaceutical retail chain MedPlus.