Smart keeps mum after reported acquisition of Chikka.com

Smart Communications Inc., the Philippines’ leading mobile phone firm, is still keeping a tight lid on its reported acquisition of Chikka.com despite an announcement by the latters’ officials in their respective Twitter accounts. Smart would be holding a press conference next week to issue a statement regarding its latest acquisition, the company’s public affairs division said. The Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) and its units have been on a buying spree, gobbling up a television station, additional shares in Meralco – the country’s largest electric company – and broadsheet Philippine Star. Blogger Abe Olandres first reported the acquistion in his Yugatech site, quoting Chikka founder and chief imagination officer Dennis Mendiola who said in a "tweet" that Smart and Chikka have now joined forces. "Team Smart + team Chikka = unbeatable. Now we are one. Here's to a new beginning," said Mendiola's tweet, as quoted by Olandres. Mendiola did not reveal the cost of the deal but the transaction could easily be in the millions as Chikka has been in the IT and telecom space for sometime now. It gained a following after it introduced a service that allows PC users to send text messages for free. The recipient of the free text is charged a fee if he or she opts to reply. With Smart's entry as the new owner of the Web firm, it remains to be seen how the company would process text messages from subscribers of rival telcos Globe Telecom and Sun Cellular. - GMANews.TV