• by Erik Sass , Staff Writer, November 2, 2015

In addition to helping reinvent the publishing business with its pioneering native advertising program, Forbes Media has a nice little sideline going in its licensing business. Well, little may not be the word: the company is kind of licensing crazy.

Forbes announced that it has struck a licensing agreement with Worldfone to launch a new Forbes-branded mobile service for people who frequent travelers. The new service, Forbesfone, allows globetrotters to choose from one of two products -- voice and data plans, with pay-as-you go and monthly options -- that provide global roaming connectivity, saving them the hassle of switching between multiple local SIM cards.

The data plan gives Internet access in over 190 countries worldwide, while the voice plan currently offers access including voice, data and SMS across the U.S. and Europe, with plans for a global rollout in January 2016. Forbesfone is compatible with all unlocked GSM devices, including iOS, Android, Windows, and Blackberry operating systems.

Forbes COO Mike Federle explained: “The launch of Forbesfone aligns with our strategy to develop new revenue streams through product extensions under the Forbes brand. This global offering is a unique and cost-effective service addressing a common complaint of our audience of world business travelers.” 

As noted, Forbes has been on a licensing kick recently.

In April, it licensed its name and brand to SocialPort, a system created by rFactr to help companies optimize marketing content across different social platforms, with a focus on social selling in B2B marketplaces. Forbes SocialPort enables B2B sales organizations to create marketing content that is then shared across social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, among others, allowing them to engage potential customers earlier in the buying cycle.

Its previous licensing deals also include Forbes Digital Commerce, a mobile payments service created and operated by Lotaris, which serves both B2B and B2C industries.