Vringo(TM) has announced an agreement with Avea, a progressive mobile operator in Turkey, to provide Turkey's first video ringtone service. In addition to bringing Vringo to a potential universe of millions, this deal also represents a first for the video ringtone market: the first carrier-led video ringtone subscription model.
Vringo and Avea are launching the service via the carrier's popular youth platform Patlican, bringing Vringo's video ringtone application and 4,000+-clips-and-counting video ringtone library exclusively to Patlican members. Members will receive a 60-day free trial, followed by a monthly subscription fee of 4 SMS/8 counters, which includes the application, access to a number of video ringtones and free data for downloading Vringo. Members will be able to reach these services and contents from patlican.vringo.com.
Vringo also brings to Patlican members a library of pay-per-clip premium video ringtones, culled from the company's relationships with international content owners such as leading music aggregator INGrooves and local Turkish content partners. These video ringtones will range in price from 10 to 16 SMS, with a 50-percent discount for Patlican members.
"Analysts estimate that 50 percent of ringtone revenues will come from video ringtones as early as 2010; it's our mission to make that a reality," said Jon Medved, CEO, Vringo. "Turkey is an ideal market to begin selling Vringo's unique service: it's a country where mobile content, particularly ringtones, is incredibly popular; its digital media industry continues to grow; and our carrier partner Avea has developed a world-class social community of young people that matches up perfectly with our brand."
"Our young subscribers, registered to our youth platform Patlican, are among the most cutting-edge and creative mobile users, and we're committed to develop new services which will enable them to express themselves and enjoy benefits of technology" said Avea Chief Marketing Officer M. Ilker Kocak. "Working with Vringo to bring video ringtones to our members has not only been an exciting venture, but an effortless process, thanks to their content partner relationships and hands-on support."
Avea and its youth platform Patlican are supporting the Vringo launch with a robust marketing campaign, including out-of-home, TV, print, Web and mobile advertising. The carrier plans to roll Vringo out across its broader subscriber base later in the year.
About Vringo
Founded in 2006, Vringo is bringing about the evolution of ringtones. With its award-winning video ringtone application, Vringo takes a sledgehammer to the traditional call signature, transforming the basic act of making and receiving mobile phone calls into a highly visual, social experience.
By installing Vringo's application, which is compatible with more than 200 handsets, users can create or take video, images and slideshows from virtually anywhere, including Vringo's 4,000-clips-and-counting video ringtone library or the Web, and make it into their personal call signature. In a first for the mobile industry, Vringo also lets its users select which video ringtone their friends will see when they call.
Vringo is backed by Warburg Pincus and by private investors. The company has been heralded by The New York Times as "the next big thing in ringtone" and by USA Today as having "to be seen to be believed." To witness the next generation of ringtones and see a list of supported handsets, please visit www.vringo.com.
About Avea
Avea is the youngest and the most innovative operator of Turkey with its more than 11 million subscribers. Offering services to 94.5 percent of Turkey's population through its next generation network, the company is growing fast both in the corporate and individual services with the brand "Avea" and constantly investing in technology and infrastructure as well as in its management and employees. Avea has over 2.246 employees and roaming agreements with 488 operators in 180 countries. Avea prioritizes customer needs and renders innovative and quality services with the latest technology accompanied by its vision of being the leading company offering the customers the best quality services.
About Patlican
Patlican, having been founded as the youth brand of Avea in June 2007, is a platform allowing its subscribers to have interactive communication with each other in virtual, mobile and outdoor environments. Young people subscribing to this platform are able to have access to Patlican which is a platform where they can express themselves, have interactive communication and play games through www.patlican.com.tr or wap.patlican.com.tr; create their own blogs, upload videos, discuss their opinions in forums. Moreover, Avea Patlican members have fun in concerts and festivals free of charge and benefits from the cooperation with the brands and from economic advantages. Creating an environment that can be followed with pleasure for spending time thanks to its continuously updated rich content, patlian.com.tr becomes different from its competitors with its interactive wap and web pages that are developed every day with the content created by its members.
SOURCE: Vringo