WiderThan, Pioneer of the World's First Ringback Tone Service, adds Alltel
Wireless to its Growing List of Customers
SEOUL, South Korea and LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Oct. 31 /PRNewswire/ --
Alltel Wireless, "the nation's largest network," announced today that it
has selected WiderThan, now a subsidiary of RealNetworks, Inc. (Nasdaq:
RNWK) to provide ringback tone (RBT) services for its more than 11 million
wireless subscribers. With WiderThan's RBT service, Alltel Wireless
customers will pay a $0.99 subscription fee to play music clips for the
caller rather than the traditional ringing tone typically heard before a
call is connected. Customers will have access to a large music library with
a variety of artists and genres.
WiderThan has launched RBT services and other industry leading mobile
entertainment solutions and services for carriers across the Americas,
Asia, and Europe. With the launch of the Alltel Wireless service, WiderThan
will provide RBT services and systems to 14 carriers with a total combined
subscriber base of approximately 195 million worldwide. Leveraging its
signature WiderMusic(TM) Service Platform, WiderThan will operate and
manage Alltel's RBT service, bringing the number of global carriers
capitalizing on WiderThan's highly-efficient Carrier Applications Services
model to nine.
"Alltel's adoption of WiderThan's RBT service not only signifies that
most of the major U.S. carriers have now launched RBT, but also reaffirms
the growth, innovation, and success of the rapidly growing mobile music
market," said Vern Poyner, CEO, WiderThan Americas. "We're delighted to
work with Alltel to meet the ever-increasing consumer demand for the latest
mobile entertainment content and services. Alltel is an innovator and one
of the most exciting companies that we work with."
"At Alltel Wireless, we're committed to expanding our mobile music
program -- and WiderThan's ringback tone service will provide a more
personalized, robust mobile experience for our customers," said Scott
Moody, Director of Consumer Multimedia Services for Alltel Wireless. "We're
excited to partner with WiderThan to introduce yet another innovative way
for our customers to establish a stronger connection with the artists and
the music they love, while expressing their personal style to family and
friends."
"Ringback tones are an essential component of personalization services,
currently the biggest content revenue generator for wireless service
providers. Being a network-based service, they [RBTs] present an
opportunity for network operators to differentiate their personalization
offering and complement other music services," said Michele MacKenzie,
Manager of Wireless Multimedia for Ovum.
According to a recent announcement by ABI Research, the global market
for mobile music services including ringtones, ringback tones and
over-the-air (OTA) full-track downloads should hit $21.3 billion by 2011
with ringback tones accounting for more than $5.3 billion. In 2005,
worldwide mobile music revenue for OTA full-track downloads reached $251.8
million, a significant increase from the $12.4 million in 2004. The metric
encompasses music tracks, ringtones, and ringback tones.
About Alltel Wireless
Alltel is owner and operator of the nation's largest wireless network
and has more than 11 million wireless customers.
About WiderThan
WiderThan is a leading provider of integrated mobile entertainment
solutions for wireless carriers. Our applications, content, and services
enable wireless carriers to provide a broad range of mobile entertainment
such as ringback tones, music-on-demand, mobile games, ringtones,
messaging, and information services to their subscribers. WiderThan
currently provides mobile entertainment solutions to more than 50 wireless
carriers in over 25 countries, including SK Telecom in Korea, Cingular
Wireless, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless in the United
States, Bharti Airtel in India and Globe Telecom in the Philippines.
SOURCE WiderThan
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Related links:
http://www.widerthan.com
CONTACT:
Media: Kalindi Multani of Fleishman-Hillard,
+1-212-453-2147, kalindi.multani@fleishman.com, for WiderThan; or
Investors: Tania Almond of WiderThan, +1-571-521-1080,
ir@widerthan.com
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