SHAREit Group is a global internet technology company that has built numerous popular tools and digital entertainment content applications. Our diversified suite of applications, including our core app SHAREit, has been installed by nearly 2.4 billion users worldwide and 40 million monthly active users in the Philippines. The business network has reached up to 150 countries and 45 different languages.
SHAREit was recently ranked as the #2 Top SEA headquartered applications publisher worldwide for 2020 by App Annie. In 2020, SHAREit app captured the top spot amongst the fastest growing media publishers in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, as per the AppsFlyer Performance Index. It also ranked amongst the Top 5 fastest-growing media publishers in markets like Africa, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and Latin America.
In the Philippines, SHAREit landed in the Top Ten Most Used and Downloaded Apps in 2020 among Shopee, Lazada, Spotify, GCash, Netflix, Viber, Facebook, and TikTok.
We asked Karam Malhotra, Partner, Global Vice President, SHAREit Group, for some interesting questions about how they are reimagining mobile gaming experience now that SHAREit does not just provide several varieties of entertainment including online streaming video and file transfer, but they’ve also included mobile games.
Karam helms the global sales team, formulates strategy, and builds the business ecosystem for SHAREit across the globe.
The global video game market is forecasted to be worth $159 billion in 2020, around four times box office revenues ($43 billion in 2019) and almost three times music industry revenues ($57 billion in 2019). Specifically, during the pandemic, this is largely because amid these testing times when people are at home and practicing social distancing, gaming offers an amazing distraction for them. With the improved availability and reach of smartphones and easier internet access, mobile gaming now makes up for close to half (48%) of the industry's revenue. This poses as a huge opportunity for application developers. ESports, which is known for organized, multiplayer video game competitions has also seen a major success and is poised to see growth of $1 billion in 2020.
Can you tell us more about how SHAREit would reimagine mobile gaming experience?
KM: The SHAREit Gaming experience is like no other. Our “Game Centre” is not just another feature of the app, rather it’s an ecosystem for gamers, allowing players to download, play and share hot games and gaming videos. SHAREit, with its exclusive Game Centre, has not just fostered and nurtured the gaming ecosystem during the pandemic, but has also been able to grow its gaming hegemony during the pandemic, and empowered gamers with the unique propositions of recommendations, enhanced capabilities and zero data game sharing. With such user-centric features, SHAREit saw a 15 percent month-on-month increase in monthly active users since the lockdown began last March, and now has close to 40 million monthly active users in the Philippines, surpassing leading global apps.
One of the main propositions of SHAREit Gaming is about taking gaming to the masses. Often gamers don’t have access to games owing to underdeveloped internet infrastructure or expensive, but SHAREit has democratized the gaming experience for everyone with its zero data game sharing, allowing players to share games with zero data.
How does the gaming center on the SHAREit application works?
KM: After opening the app, you’ll find a separate section dedicated only for games. After you click on it, you’ll find everything you would like to do ranging from discovering, downloading hot games, watch gaming content, share games with zero data with friends and even experience “direct gameplay” through the app which enables them to simply just click and play.
Why would a casual or professional mobile gamer be interested in your product? What makes the SHAREit mobile gaming platform unique?
KM: What makes the application unique from a gaming standpoint is the exclusive gaming centre, which has received commercial and critical acclaim. The acclaim comes from players of all skill levels, geographies, and gaming publishers. The reason why people are extremely interested in our product is because of the huge range of games, games of different genres and the proposition of sharing fast without the internet. Players get to choose from one of the world’s largest catalogs of over 2500 mobile games, with unlimited access to HTML5 games. With games of various genres from casual, mid-core, hyper-casual to strategy and action, SHAREit users receive personalized recommendations based on their preferences in addition to an extensive range of features for gamers of all skill levels and Interests. For professional gamers, games usually come in high sizes of more than a GB and require multiple updates over a period. This stymies players in various regions but with SHAREit, they can solve all these problems in one click.
SHAREit has a unique feature to transfer big size games, after the game is installed, it usually takes more mobile data and time to download the resources, now when users transfer games like PUBG or Free Fire, SHAREit will automatically grab all resource files in one package with one click transmission. Check the video to learn more - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cf1NIlx4poQ&ab_channel=SHAREit
SHAREit has been known as an app that provides file transfer easier and to stream and watch videos. How would SHAREit's game center contribute value for its followers?
KM: SHAREit is made as a one-stop content platform for people, and we are synonymous with providing high-quality digital content for every user. Thus, it’s our unique combination of utility and entertainment, which results in the high-value proposition appealing to every user. Since we consider SHAREit as an integrated platform, we don’t zero upon the feature which provides us with the biggest market as it’s the combined proposition which appeals to users.
Are there loyalty programs or perks that your followers can enjoy beyond the mobile gaming catalogue?
KM: Since our aim is to provide unparalleled service, we are continuously refining and updating our product with the same thought. More than loyalty programs, we feel more strongly about the value and power that we can put in the hands of the user, that everywhere even those places where people are not at a high-quality digital success due to their underdeveloped internet infrastructure.
Also, our app is completely free for everyone to use. It’s all in our aim to create a high-quality digital ecosystem where people can avail all services under one platform.
SHAREit’s focus on expansion and growth in the Philippines
In addition to our conversation with Karam, the SHAREit group also saw 2021 as a prime opportunity to expand and officially set up a local team in the Philippines, given the flourishing local mobile app ecosystem and the growth of the SHAREit app in the country. “SHAREit is just the right platform to answer the country’s growing tech and digital marketing needs,” said Philippines Country Director Lisa Dominguez.
“Mobile is the future of everything. As one of the most widely used apps in the Philippines, we’re excited to work with even more local brands to accelerate their growth in the digital space. With SHAREit, Philippine businesses and marketers get to connect to our 40 million active users. Our unique solutions enable them to build deep and wide brand awareness and drive growth and retention at scale,” shared Dominguez.
“Our 40 million active users in the Philippines are some of the most engaged among SHAREit’s billion-strong user base worldwide,” said Dominguez. “Pinoys are on the forefront of many global trends in terms of mobile usage, entertainment and gaming. We’re very excited about SHAREit’s growth as our local team helps to empower and enable Philippine businesses to effectively reach more customers and unlock growth.”