Maddy Reddy is Founder & CEO of Content Syndicate, an internet based platform that helps publishers and corporations commission, distribute, buy and sell previously published and/or tailor made content in more than 200 languages.

Q. Kindly introduce yourself and your company.
A. I'm a technology journalist by profession, or that's how I started my career more than ten years ago.
Content Syndicate was born out of my first hand experiences, issues, challenges, opportunities from the publishing/content space. In the process, spoke to hundreds of publishers before I decided to take the plunge nearly two years ago. Being an IT journalist, also gave me a huge advantage as I had first hand view of using technology to empower businesses and consumers. Content Syndicate's Words on Demand service® helps governments, agencies, corporates and publishers to commission, distribute, buy and sell tailor-made content for print and web media in more than 200 languages. We're able to do this, thanks to our online platform. Having serviced more than 300+ corporate clients and 80+ publishers for a range of content services in our beta phase alone, we are one of the region's fastest growing content services firm. Ranging from editorial, copywriting, translation services for newspapers, magazines, websites, newsletters, brochures, manuals, press releases and marketing collateral, we help our clients maximize the impact of their internal and external communication. Select clients  include: JAFZA, Du, DWTC, Royal Sun Alliance, ITP, Al Tayer Group,  HSBC, Al Mana Group amongst others.

Q. Your company provides its services through a ‘traditional’ channel or through the portal. Kindly contrast the nature of business offered by each, and tell us what kind of activity the portal generates.
A. We leverage our online platform, or portal, if you wish to call it that to help our clients. Because of our unique and disruptive business model, our highly scalable patent pending platform can scale up to offer content in any major language, regardless of the client's location, need or time with minimal costs. Thanks to the model, we can handle hundreds of languages, thousands of projects easily. The content providers and buyers can be located anywhere. We bypass the bottlenecks, faced by traditional firms. Mind you, we don't have hundreds of employees either.  Its simply a case of leveraging technology combined with a scalable business model. Ofcourse, few things like meeting clients, follow-ups, building relations and trust is still traditional. Nothing can replace that.

Q. Would you say the content market in the Middle East is still in its ‘infancy’, and what kind growth are you projecting? Which segments do you see the most growth in?
A. Yes, its very much in its infancy. There's limited content, there's not enough original, relevant, authoritative content.  However we see this as a great opportunity, and we're addressing it.
Its hard to give break-ups, but publishers of print, web, broadcast, radio content have the biggest potential as they are the biggest producers and consumers of content. Even though its still in its infacy, its clearly a multibillion dollar market - much smaller than mature markets - but then there's positive growth. Being a web-based business, our reach goes beyond the region. That's a huge advantage for expansion and geographic diversification. I wouldn't hazard a risk, and put numbers, percentages as I'm no market analyst, but as a company we're growing rapidly, we have raised substantial funding, we are hiring and getting better every week.

Q. How has the global economic recession impacted the content development business in the Middle East?
A. With the tough market conditions, more and more publishers, agencies, corporates are turning to firms like us, as we bring in huge cost savings. We help them save time, money in procuring, selling, buying this content. The savings in terms of money, translate to between 40-60%.  For publishers alone, if they had to set-up a syndication platform, it would cost them hundreds and thousands of dollars. We're able to offer that for free, besides help them make money. Plus, we're creating a whole new stream that complements their current advertising/subscription model. We're able to do this because of our focus, scalability, distributed model, large volumes.  In short, the future looks bright and very promising. 

Q. What’s next for Content Syndicate?
A. Our platform is currently in private beta. That's scheduled to go live in a few months; more clients, bigger and stronger team; audio and video content; expanding outwards from Dubai towards the rest of the Gulf and other emerging markets. We've also signed up some major publishers, who we are working closely with for the formal launch. Looking at raising a Series A funding later this year, got a lot of interest for that.  Numbers aside, the most important thing we ask ourselves - how can we create more value for our customers, team, investors and partners.  As long as we keep getting answers to that, we'll continue to progress. Its easy to go overboard and carried away, but like they say, one step at a time, one dollar at a time.  In our case, its one word a time.

Q. Tell us about industry recognition and accolodaes Content Syndicate has earned?
A. In February 2008, we were selected in the top 3 of 150 start-ups by the Arab Business Angels Network®, a subsidiary of Dubai International Capital (DIC) at DIFC.
We are the Winner of ‘Best New SME’ ‘Best SME across GCC’ and co-winner of the ‘Best young entrepreneur’ at 2008 Visa® Business Awards.
And Winner of TiE-ISB® 2008 Connect Business Awards for Best Start-up.
Content Syndicate is a Finalist in Lloyds TSB® 2008 Awards for Best Entrepreneurial start-up Award.
And, in September 2007, Content Syndicate was a finalist at Seedcamp®, a leading business launch pad in London. We were selected from 260 start-ups in 42 countries for our innovative business model and service.