• The Wall Street Journal (subscription required), Monday, May 7, 2007 12:15 PM

The National Wildlife Federation is one of a host of new mobile services targeting micro-markets--tiny niches that no cell phone giant would have the time or expertise to penetrate. There's a company targeting yoga practitioners, another for cancer survivors, one for members of a Christian group and one whose market is moms who are entrepreneurs: "Mums in Business Mobile."

Behind the launches is a former Microsoft executive whose new venture, Sonopia Corp., allows any organization or club to start a wireless company "in 15 minutes or less" online. It has signed up nearly 900 organizations to create their own service, with relevant features, news and content for members of their respective groups.

Most of the groups use the service as a self-sustaining way to promote themselves or their causes and keep members or customers engaged. They get only about 3% to 8% of the revenue from monthly service plans; the rest goes to Verizon and Sonopia.

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