WHILE most technology start-ups try to peddle jazzed-up products to gizmo-saturated countries like Singapore and the United States, one local firm decided to go in another direction.

BuzzCity created a bare-bones social networking system which works even with entry-level mobile phones and pushed it in densely populated countries like India, where Internet access is hard to come by.

All winners BuzzCity: Three million users, from Indonesia to South Africa, subscribe to the company's myGamma service, a sort of a Facebook that works on even the most basic of mobile phones. Instead of going toe-to-toe with other startups in tech-saturated markets, BuzzCity concentrated on the huge, untapped pool of social networking aficionados in countries such as India. AntLabs: Traditional anti-virus programs and firewalls protect against viruses and hackers, but do not help much with new threats like phishing, where cyber-attackers pose as banks to con customers into revealing their online banking passwords. So the company developed a plug-in, called Securite, that prevents browsers from being hijacked by malicious programs and protects passwords and other sensitive information. PictureWorks: The company developed a wireless system called PictureAnywhere that lets event photographers, like those at a corporate dinner or a concert, process and print thousands of photos in just a few hours. Land Transport Authority: The transport regulator was honoured for its so-called intelligent transport systems, like its network of cameras that scan Singapore's highways and even its oft-criticised electronic road pricing system. ... more

The bet paid off and BuzzCity won the award for the most innovative infocomm service this year at the National Infocomm Awards last night.

The awards, dubbed the Oscars of Singapore's infocomm industry, have been a springboard for many major industry players.

BuzzCity's chief executive, Dr Lai Kok Fung, said the win will hopefully 'open doors' for the company and help it attract new customers.

'It should also help us attract and keep talented staff,' he said. The company, which has 39 workers, has an office in Beach Road.

The company's myGamma system, dubbed the 'Facebook for mobile phones', has three million users in countries such as South Africa, India and Indonesia.

It allows them to share pictures, blog and shop on their cellphones. BuzzCity, which expects to become profitable this year, makes money by selling advertisements to about 200 companies.

On Tuesday night, it was one of five winners to receive awards from Senior Minister of State for Education and Information, Communications and the Arts Lui Tuck Yew at a gala dinner at the Ritz Carlton Millenia.

Read the full story in Wednesday's edition of The Straits Times.