Vizzavi fiddles with status quo

The portal's model is being amended due to expectations that the future of the market will focus on the distribution of content to various platforms. However, Vizzavi's current strategy already makes provision for (eventually) delivering content to GPRS and UMTS-enabled mobile handsets, as well as PDAs, personal computers and interactive TV.

It is known that Vizzavi intends to increasingly leverage the extensive content owned by Vivendi Universal, which owns Universal Music Group, Universal Studios and Flipside, which it claims to be the number one online gaming operator.

Messier said that “the dominant business model we will see emerging” would be based to a significant extent on subscriptions. He added that whoever provides both content and services would benefit from “the lion's share of sales”. With this in mind, it could be that Vivendi Universal, which is overseeing the revised deal, has renegotiated its share of the spoils as it opens up its portfolio of music, film and games content. At the time of writing, the company could not be contacted to clarify the exact details.

Vivendi Universal expects its internet activities to contribute profits by early-2004 and Messier said that a mass-market GPRS service will be launched in the second quarter of 2002.

Messier predicted that in the near future the PC will not be king and “whoever provides multi-screen services at low cost will be the winner long-term”. Vizzavi has a customer base of 95m throughout Europe and is the default home page for Canal+ users, but has yet to venture into the UK interactive television market.