Coming to a pocket or briefcase near you: QuickPlay Media, which delivers interactive media to mobile devices, has merged with Snap Media, producer of award-winning websites for Degrassi: The Next Generation and CHUM.

The deal, announced last month, brings together two companies led by Raja Khanna. Snap’s operations have been rolled into those of QuickPlay, with Khanna staying in place as president.

Bringing in a multimedia packager like Snap makes good business sense, says QuickPlay spokesperson Mark Farmer.

‘The merger really is about bringing the incredible creative talent of Snap into QuickPlay to drive the creative innovation of our interactive mobile business,’ he says, adding that the ‘commonality of skills and focus’ between the two companies makes them a natural fit.

Farmer says there will be no layoffs from the merger. In fact, over the next few months, QuickPlay plans to add 15 new staff to the current combined total of 45.

Khanna launched Snap in 1995 to produce interactive content for the then-nascent new media sector. In the intervening decade, the Toronto company not only racked up a string of awards but also an impressive roster of clients, including CTV, TVOntario, CBC and Discovery Channel Canada.

Two years ago, he teamed up with former telcom executive Wayne Purboo to create QuickPlay. The company packages, distributes and manages media applications for mobile devices and has enjoyed explosive growth since 2003 – partnering with Rogers Wireless, Telus Mobility, Bell Mobility, CHUM, CBC and others.

The companies have never formally worked together, although they shared office space for a short time.

QuickPlay has successfully tapped the burgeoning mobile market, clocking 100,000 video downloads in August, beating its first-year projections. At the same time, the company has created entertainment applications that pull content – sports scores, news, music – to mobile devices.

A wireless media boom appears in the offing. According to the Print Measurement Bureau, by 2008, over 16 million Canadians will subscribe to video-enabled cell phones.

www.quickplaymedia.com