There are plenty of opportunities when it comes to distributing mobile content in developing countries, but selling content is another matter entirely.

That's why UK/Sweden distribution outfit Flexion has partnered up with local publisher Indigames as it expands into the potentially lucrative Indian market.

The result is that content sold via Flexion's wrapper technology, which is mainly used for games embedded on devices, can now be charged via operator billing. This is more flexible, both economically and psychologically, compared to alternatives such as premium SMS, which are limited to larger amounts and offer low rates of revenue share.

The first of Flexion's partners to benefit include EA Mobile and Alcatel, while operator billing is already live for Sony Ericsson's Try & Buy preloads.

The patter of many tiny transactions

"Our partnership with Indiagames is exciting and unique in the sense that together we can offer the best customer experience and have a real stab at content monetisation in India," said Jens Lauritzson, Flexion's CEO.

"The growth potential for mobile content in India is huge, and will expand as new handsets and new payment methods mean more people can try and buy content," said Samir Bangara, Indiagames' COO.

"Dominated by low credit customers, the sector holds strong potential for micro payments or pay-per-use models, which offer several pricing options for specific content."

Flexion's wrapper technology works by creating a small amount of code that's wrapped around mobile content, enabling a range of additional services, such as in-app billing, DRM and content discovery. Additional games and apps can be offered via an integrated dynamic storefront.