Twitter acquires Indian marketing startup ZipDial

ZipDial, a Bangalore, India-based startup that helps send information while sidestepping data charges.
ZipDial's main service allows users to call a number, hang up before incurring any charges, and then receive phone calls or text messages with information about the place called. For example, you could call Pizza Hut and hang up; then, Pizza Hut would text you information. The system allows users to avoid using data, which can cost a premium in emerging markets like India.

"Users in India, for example, consume on average 60 MB of data per month, only 4.5% of the 1.38 GB consumed each month by users in the U.S.," Valerie Wagoner, CEO and co-founder of ZipDial, wrote in a blog post announcing the acquisition.
ZipDial's main business is in marketing. The company already works with a variety of major brands, including Disney and Pepsi, and has more than 500 total clients.
Twitter's acquisition gives it a foothold in India's smartphone scene, as well as the marketing and data analytics of users. ZipDial also works on feature phones, which are still prevalent in India.
The shift from feature phones to smartphones makes India an appealing market for Twitter. Emerging markets are expected to lead technology device adoption in 2015, with India easily paving the way, according to the GFK Group. India added a net of 28 million smartphone users in just the first quarter of 2014.
"Our ambitious goal is to make Twitter’s unique, great content accessible to 100% of the world’s mobile users, including those in emerging markets who will be experiencing the mobile Internet for the first time. We could not be prouder to join the flock," Wagoner said.
The amount Twitter paid for ZipDial has not been confirmed, but TechCrunch put the cost at between $30 million and $40 million. Source: Mashable

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