Re-seller FAQ

• I understand you are looking to distribute your content, but I don't have the experience in this sector. Thought I want to help you. Is there any way?

  If you have contacts in the industry to operators or VAS providers then maybe you can help us by pushing our content for distribution there.

• Why should I search for potential distributors, while you already have 900 distribution channels all around the world?

  Actually with our huge catalog of more than 1,800,000 games/apps and more than 18 million items (wallpapers, videos, ringtones, themes), we are always short on distribution and there are lot of content that is still not distributed from our side. The market is also big and there are lot of opportunities that we haven’t explored. We are talking about a market which is estimated to be $31 billion in 2016!
  Mobile market is getting bigger on a daily basis.

• What would be my profit from this business?

  Usually the reseller will take commissions out of each deal he brings to the table. The commission is on monthly basis and will continue as long as the channel the reseller has opened is still generating income. The commission depends on the role that reseller will be playing, either a door-opener only where he/she will receive low commission or someone who can help follow up on the deal and help even in the after sales; in which case the commission will be considerably higher. ZGroup-Mobile has attractive percentage that depends on the targets we have for each country.

• As a reseller, can I get fixed salary with commissions?

  No we don’t provide salaries for resellers. We are a result-oriented company. We don’t know you as a reseller yet and that is why we work on commission basis only. We know our content is of the top quality and it's easy to sell it. The only compensation we offer is commission basis.
  You will get 2%-25% of the income we generate. This can amount to usd 2000-6000 per month depending on the distribution channels you have and your follow up with them.
  The efforts that you have to invest in this case depend on the resources that you put into this business.

• Is there a duration for the contract between ZGM and me as a reseller?

  It’s one year but automatically renewed unless there's no distribution. All our reseller have the same contract, thus, the same commitment period.. We follow this standard but any change of the contract period would be discussed and agreed on upon negotiation.

• If I worked as a reseller for you, can I keep my daily job or work on other activities?

  Yes as long as your other work doesn’t compete with what you are doing with ZGroup Mobile. So if you want to work with Mobile content and you resell our content then we should be the only provider or else you will be competing with the services we are providing.

• Where are you based?

  We have an office in Abu Dhabi - UAE, in Beirut - Lebanon and Damascus - Syria.

• What can I do as a reseller?

  You should have the market knowledge and the network. We have the product. Your job is to introduce us to VAS companies or mobile network operators and present our services to potential clients.

• Do I have to sign a contract with ZGM to be a reseller?

  Yes, in order to get the rights to distribute our content to different channels in your country, you have to sign a contract with us.

• Does signing a contract with ZGM means I'm an employee for the company?

  No, your work is more of a freelancer, you don't get a salary because we work only on commission basis.

• What does it mean if I will not be a normal employee in ZGroup?

  It means that you can't get compensation other than the agreed compensation that we mention in the contract itself. The commission can be as high as 25% or even more.

• Is there a duration for the contract between ZGM and me as a reseller?

  It’s one year but automatically renewed unless there's no distribution. All our reseller have the same contract, thus, the same commitment period.. We follow this standard but any change of the contract period would be discussed and agreed on upon negotiation.

• Can I add a suggestion or a modification to the agreement?

  Our RSA (reseller standard agreement) is pretty standard and most of our partners signed it without changes, but that doesn't say we don't welcome your suggestions or modifications.

• Why you don't provide monthly cash payment for resellers?

  We don't provide any cash payment because we want to link their efforts to the income that they can generate.

• Why are you demanding a reseller to pay a license fee?

  There's a reseller fee because you will have the rights to our brands. This is usually imposed on us by the brand owners.

• Do I need to have a company to act as a reseller?

  No, you can work as an individual, you'll be able to represent us and our company to distribute our mobile content to any channels that you can cover.

• How do go about the strategy of reselling, and how does it work?

  You introduce us to potential distributors who are VAS companies and/or operators. We will supply all necessary marketing materials.

• So, I introduce you to VAS and I sign a contract with them in order to distribute your content?

  As a reseller you can't sign any contract on behalf of ZGroup Mobile.

• What kind of commission can I expect to get?

  You will get 5%-25% of the income we generate. It depends on the targets that you can achieve on monthly basis.

• At what points my role will start and finish as a reseller?

  As a reseller we expect you to introduce us to the potential client. You can control when your role will end, you can follow up during the discussion and even the after sales process. The amount of involvement you dedicate will determine your commission.

• Can I work as a reseller in more than one country?

  If you have good connections with other distributing channels in other countries then sure.

Distributors FAQ

• Who could be a potential distributor for ZGM?

  ZGM's distributor is a company which has experience in his market. This company should have either the ability to deliver content to end-users or to bill them or both. A typical distribution is a VAS company or an operator.

• What is required from the partner?

  Our partners have to deliver mobile content to the end-user and collect the money from them. For delivery we have our own platform that our partners can use. Billing is essential part that we are missing and our partner should be able to bill users through premium sms numbers or any other similar mechanism.

• How can I deliver the content to the end-user?

  Delivery of the content happens mostly through OTA (over the air) where the end-user can download an item through his internet connection on his/her mobile. There are other delivery mechanism such as allowing the user to download the content from a website (then install it themselves) or by having an appstore application that allows users to download apps and install in one click.

• How would the billing process done?

  Actually we have several ways to bill the end-users. Through mobile carrier billing (premium SMS or IVR), credit card, or retail.
  1) Mobile carrier billing: Usually this is done through premium SMS payment. The end-user can download an item by sending a message to a premium sms number from his/her phone. The message could be to download an item or to subscribe to a service. At the end of the month, the operator will pay the shares to our distributor who will pay us later.
  2) Credit card: In this method, the user will be billed through his/her creditcard. This method has the advantage of bypassing the operator and thus offering content at lower price but it’s not available in all countries worldwide and depends on the penetration of credit cards usage in each country.
  3) Retail: In this scenario, the end-user can go to a shop, select the items that he/she wants to have on their phone and the items will be installed. The user has to pay usually in cash or by creditcard in this scenario. The disadvantage of this scenario is that the user has to go to the retail themselves but there’s an advantage as this method is easier for many users plus the pricing could be well adapted.

• What would be the profit of the distributor who would be providing all of this? Also What about his investment in this?

  The distributor would be earning 50% of the net income generated on monthly basis. The distributor should pay license fee after signing the contract to get the distribution rights of branded content from ZGroup-Mobile.

• Why should I pay the license fee? How much is it?

  The license fee is paid to give our distributor the right to distribute the branded content in ZGroup-Mobile's catalog and it's a must. Branded content could not be distributed without license fee. The license fee is based on countries and it's paid once per country. Once paid the publisher will have the right to distribute all items from our catalogs in all channels in his country. The license fee should be paid at the time of signing the contract.

• Where are you based?

  We have an office in Abu Dhabi - UAE, in Beirut - Lebanon and Damascus - Syria.

• What are your competitive Advantages?

  1- We have one of the biggest catalogues in the industry.
  2- Our catalogs include high brands (For example, we have mobile content for: Hollywood, Bollywood, Celebrities, Billboard, Sport Stars…)
  3- We get content from thousands of providers worldwide and we will be providing that to our partners in a unified format. The catalogues we have are well organized and include:
     a- A unified directory structure that will make it easy for the distributor to include the content automatically.
     b- The structure we proposed is very dynamic and has been used since 2005 with no much modifications.
     c- We include a descriptive xml file that will allow the publisher to automate the inclusion. The xml file describes each item within the package and its roles. It's very useful if you want to add batch of programs. One of our Australian partners was able to add 5000 games in less than an hour after they wrote a small script to automate the process! We can help in such automation. Whether your CMS is .net, #net, asp, php or python based, you will find it very easy to include our content to it.
  4- Our catalogues are well tested and certified before being deployed.
  5- We have monthly updates to the catalogue (with new content).
  6- mLocalization tool that we developed at ZGROUP MOBILE will help us to localize any game/product to any language without the need for source code.
  7- We bring the best content saving our distributor the time and efforts to check those providers and sign with each of them alone.
  8- We can provide the platform as well as a whitelabel. Please check our AppStore and MusicStore. We are also offering these stores on a flat subscription basis where the user pays a small flat subscription per day, week or month and get access to all the games/apps in the store. The store can be also offered as a white-label.
  9- We have lot of other services that you can explore here.

• What is required from distributors?

  Our partners have to deliver mobile content to the end-users and collect money from them. For delivery we have our own platform that our partners can use. We can also integrate our platform with the standard payment methods used in each country (premium sms, ussd, direct operator billing, creditcard. .. etc).

• Can you please clarify what areas do you propose to cooperate?

  We are into mobile content (games/apps/music/videos) distribution. We have one of the biggest catalogs of mobile content (mobile games, apps, ringtones, wallpapers, videos and themes). We are looking for partners who can help us in the distribution of our mobile content. Our content can be distributed worldwide.

• For what countries are the rights cleared? And by what agency?

  We have worldwide non exclusive license for distribution.

• What the conditions are for begin the Business?

  We need to understand where you want to distribute and we have to work together on the forecast and understanding of what are the market needs.

• Why would we partnering with you?

  We are leaders in mobile content publishing business. Most of our content is branded and high in quality. We have one of the biggest catalogues in the industry.
  The catalogue we have is well organized. We have modified the structure of our gaming catalogue. This will make it easier for any content provider to identify the binaries with the supported handsets (which was a problem earlier and still a problem with many content providers). The unified structure/naming will make it easier and quicker for anybody to include our content. We included a descriptive xml file that will allow the publisher to automate the inclusion. The xml file describes each item within the package and its roles. It's very useful if you want to add batch of programs. One of our Australian partners was able to add 500 games in less than an hour after they wrote a small script! Whether your platform is .net, #net, asp, php or perl based, you will find it very easy to include our content to it.

• Is there a duration for the contract between ZGM and the distribution company?

  The agreement will be effective as of the first day of signing the agreement and continue thereafter for a period of one (1) calendar year following the first day of the agreement.
  It can be negotiated to make it for more than one year.

• What would be the profit of the distributor who would be providing all of this?

  The distributor would be earning 40% - 50% of the net income generated on monthly basis.

• What about the investment in this?

  The distributor should pay license fee after signing the contract to get the distribution rights of branded content from ZGroup-Mobile. License fee is paid per country and there are six levels of license fee for each country.

• Why would we pay for the license fee?

  Because most of our content is branded and the license fee is imposed on us by brand owners.

• Can we distribute in more than one country?

  Yes, but you have to pay the license fee for each country you would like to distribute in.

FAQ Appstore

• What is your AppStore as a product? I am not technical, can you explain in simple terms?

  It’s a software solution that is composed of a web service and a mobile application. The result is an appstore that is similar to Google market or Apple Store.

• What are the platforms that the Appstore cover?

  The Appstore covers the following platforms: Android, IOS and Windows Phone.

• What are the advantages of Appstore?

  1- The Appstore will be accessible from the web and mobile.
  2- It integrates with different payment methods: premium SMS, USSD payment, credit cards ..etc.
  3- The store has a local category that might be interesting/relevant only to people in one country.
  4- All mobile app will be automatically updated to the last version.
  5- Store’s content will be updated on a weekly basis.
  6- A wide variety of content of multiple categories, such as: Sport, Kids: 4-10 years old, Education and much more.
  7- Easy to use.
  8- The store gives you the choice of rating each game/app.
  9- All the contents are available on low prices for everyone, so it targets the mass market, and everyone can use it and download the desired content without having any financial boundaries.
  10- Once the content is downloaded then the user owns the content and can redownload again without paying if he/she changed his mobile or reset his/her mobile to factory settings.
  11- The store have customized content that suits different cultures.

• Ok, but why are we creating a store when there’s already Google Play and Apple iTunes?

  Our Appstore is going to offer new monetization strategies such as flat subscription or bundled content; an option not available in the appstores nowadays. We also would like to customize it to make it closer to the customers (localization and wise selection of content). In the subscription model, users will pay a flat rate per month to download upto 500-3000 paid games/apps with no extra payment, no ads and no in-apps purchasing.

• Can you give me a presentation that I can show to a customer?

  There's a small presentation to give you an idea as well or to share with your team: http://www.slideshare.net/zgroupmobile/zgm-appstore-proposal

• Can I test the store live on my phone?

  Please check a demo of the store here. You can find in the list on the left (download mobayle app) it will allow you to download demo apk to your Android handset.

• Why flat subscription is important?

  Because nowadays most owners of smartphones are not the top wealthy people. If a person is an average earner then most probably they saved a lot to purchase a smartphone ($60-$300). It would be illogical to expect them to spend $1-$2 per app.
  Whereas if you give them access to what they want on 5-10 cents day/10-20 cents per week/40-80 cents month then they might subscribe knowing that most of their needs will be met within our new appstore.

• Who could be the target partner for the Store?

  There are many partners but they can be classified into two main categories:
  1) Mobile network operator: in this case the store will be branded for the operator and the operator takes full responsibility in sales/marketing/operational. The store will be (in most cases) exclusive only to the user-base of the operator. This option has the advantage of tying with an operator and getting quick access to their user-base plus the ability to integrate the store with their offers (prepaid mostly).
  2) Local partner: A partner who have good access to marketing channel or ability to run marketing campaigns for the store. In this case we will have one store connected to one or more operators and advertised either through operator or other channels. A typical partner is one who has a VAS company or has a payment to VAS company.

• How will the end-user subscribe?

  The end-user will subscribe for a week/month (or other plans in the future like quarterly or yearly) by sending an sms to a premium number of or by paying online. A confirmation will be returned to the user and then they will have access to the store. The store will charge the user automatically on each billing cycle unless the user cancelled their subscription.

• We know couple of developers, can they upload their games/apps into the store once it’s launched?

  Sure they can. Any user can register as a developer and upload their games/apps there. They can even include it in the “local” section so that it will be easier for users to discover what is local to them and their cultures. After developers submit their Apps, then it has to be reviewed by the Admin and only when it’s approved then it will be commercially available for users. The developer can check their downloads/income in real time and they will be paid similar to any other developer we have.

Content FAQ

• What does ZGM has?

  We have the biggest catalog in the industry of more than 2.5 million apps and games, +1 million e-books, +20M videos/music and +3M animations, themes, wallpapers.

• Do you have the rights of the content?

  Of course, we have non-exclusive rights for all content we have.

• What kind of content do you have?

  We have branded, premium and regular content that is suitable for all end-users.

• What do you mean by branded content and what is premium?

  Branded content is based on movies, celebrities, sport figures, and other famous brands.
  Premium games are high quality games for core gamers that are addictive, offer great graphics and great gaming experience.

• Do all your apps permit customization?

  Yes mostly. AAA titles are excluded.

• What type of content is popular on your platform?

  Content perform differently across territories because of purchasing power and difference in cultures. For example Cricket content sells very well in India/Pakistan whereas soccer is the main sport worldwide.
  So the answer to the question depends on the territories that you want to cover and the type of content that might be attractive to your users. In general mobile games/apps are performing very good. Music/Video comes next but that also depend on the territories you want to distribute in.

• What’s the price list of your content?

  We don’t have a price list for the content as the standard business model is revenue sharing and license fee. If you want to purchase a package on flat subscription (i.e. no revenue sharing) then this can be discussed and it will depend on the territories, size of the package and for how long do you want to use the package.

• How can we set the end-user price in our territories?

  Actually we don't interfere with end-user price as we believe that our partners (who are more knowledgeable when it comes to their local markets) can set the end-user prices better than we do. We even leave it to them to change the end-user price if they feel they need to.

OEM FAQ

• I have direct relations with OEMs do you usually work with them?

  We can work on different ways with OEMs and surely we can offer great value to add to their handsets.

• So what would be your offer for OEM's?

  We can offer them pre-installed content into the handsets. We can also provide the ability to re-brand some games under the OEM's brand. This will help increase the handsets sells.

• How is your pricing mechanism work with OEM?

  Usually OEMs order a set of items for a limited number of handsets. We give discounts for such sales.
  We usually get a handset and test the content to ensure that it’s running perfectly on it. A package for OEM can be done for special occasion like Valentine, Christmas or similar occasion. In such package; we might provide the OEM with a set of 10 games/apps, 100 wallpapers, 100 videos and 100 sms. Such package will be installed on each handset.

• Would it be possible to offer the whole Appstore pre-installed in the handsets the OEM is selling?

  Sure and we can provide this as branded store under the OEM’s brand with excellent advantages.
  Such store will be offered to users outside of the box and users know that all of those apps are available to be downloaded within one click!

• How can I embed the content into my handset?

  We send the bundle of apps/games inside the handset. We will do the testing and ensure that the games/apps are working fine and can be used as a package.

• What is the business model in this case?

  Flat fee business model: in which the partner will pay a flat fee for certain number of installs or unlimited installs.

• How can we do the testing to make sure that the game/app is compatible?

  We can either get the handset to test our games/apps on it or we can send you the APK and you can help us with the testing. In general if we know the Android version of the device then we can easily get the application running on it.