Real continues its momentum in China with China's number two mobile
operator
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today from CTIA
Wireless I.T. and Entertainment 2008, RealNetworks(R), Inc., (RNWK) the
digital entertainment services company, announced that it has launched the
next generation of its emoticonSMS(TM) service to China Unicom's mobile
subscribers. The service is now available to more than 10 million
subscribers in the Sichuan and Chongqing regions. This new, advanced
version of emoticonSMS -- branded xPressiveMMS by China Unicom --
incorporates graphics and photos into text messages, converting an SMS
message into an MMS message automatically, making plain SMS more fun and
personalized.
"Our subscribers continuously seek out the latest technologies and
features, and we aim to stay one step ahead, offering them cutting-edge
personalization options," said Li Weidong, general manager of VAS
Department for Sichuan China Unicom. "We value RealNetworks' continuous
innovation in mobile services, making them the obvious choice to work with
us in launching this service."
Once a subscriber signs up for the service with China Unicom -- the
second largest mobile operator in China -- xPressive MMS will use keyword
recognition technology to automatically enhance the SMS text messages by
incorporating pictures, background images, background music or fonts,
allowing subscribers to create unique and personalized messages for each of
their contacts, every time.
"We are honored to be chosen to partner with China Unicom, helping them
generate significant revenue while providing a fun, personalized mobile
experience for its subscribers," said Jay Kim, vice president, APAC & Music
Business for RealNetworks Asia Pacific. "We look forward to further
expanding our global market leadership into China by continuing to provide
valuable services that are localized and customized to the various Chinese
markets."
xPressive MMS subscribers can pay an "all-you-can-eat" flat fee for
unlimited use (5 RMB per month; approximately 73 cents USD per month), or
can pay as they go (1 RMB per message; approximately 15 cents USD per
month).
Real's services are currently available through 88 different carriers
in 44 countries worldwide, making them available to 884.3 million
subscribers. Real offers mobile operators a comprehensive selection of
mobile services including Music-On-Demand, Video-On-Demand, mobile games,
personalization features such as RTs, RBTs and Multimedia Ringback
Services, and messaging services.
RNWK-G
ABOUT REALNETWORKS
RealNetworks, Inc. delivers digital entertainment services to consumers
via PC, portable music player, home entertainment system or mobile phone.
Real created the streaming media category in 1995 and has continued to lead
the market with pioneering products and services, including: RealPlayer(R),
the first mainstream media player to enable one-click downloading and
recording of Internet video; the award-winning Rhapsody(R) digital music
service, which delivers more than 1 billion songs per year; RealArcade(R),
one of the largest casual games destinations on the Web; and a variety of
mobile entertainment services, such as ringback tones, offered to consumers
through leading wireless carriers around the world. RealNetworks' corporate
information is located at http://www.realnetworks.com/company.
RealNetworks, RealArcade, Rhapsody, RealPlayer and the Real logo are
trademarks or registered trademarks of RealNetworks, Inc. or its
subsidiaries. All other trademarks, names of actual companies and products
mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.
SOURCE RealNetworks, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.realnetworks.com/company
CONTACT:
Tiffany Dunning of RealNetworks, Inc.,
+1-206-892-6733, tdunning@real.com; or Jennifer Humiston,
+1-617-779-1812, jhumiston@shiftcomm.com, of SHIFT Communications
for RealNetworks, Inc.
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