PACKETVIDEO ENABLES DRM-FREE MUSIC THROUGH ROGERS' URMUSIC SERVICE
Rogers Communications Inc. Recently Became First Canadian Mobile Operator to Provide Album Pre-Orders as Part of Full Track Over-the-Air Music Downloads Store
SAN DIEGO – PacketVideo (PV) announced today that it is working with Rogers to provide Digital Rights Management (DRM) free music downloads through Rogers' urMusic™. Rogers' customers now have the option to purchase and download DRM-free music files to their mobile device or PC, and transfer them to their other compatible electronic devices free of charge. The new service is currently supported on more than 67 handsets available from Rogers, including a number of popular BlackBerry® smartphones. In addition, Rogers becomes the first Canadian mobile operator to offer album pre-orders as part of its full-track, over-the-air music downloads store.
As part of this service upgrade, PV will continue to host and support the Rogers urMusic store based on PV's MediaFusion™ platform. MediaFusion is a white-label server-client solution for rich media applications, supporting next generation purchase- and subscription-based business models.
PV and Rogers began their relationship in 2007, with PV providing its mobile player for Java and Symbian phones, as well as its SDC DRM technology to support Rogers' music service offerings at that time. The organizations collaborated to introduce the urMusic service soon after in early 2009. With that launch, PV replaced Rogers' former music shop and content delivery service with a holistic offering, including hosting, mobile and webshops, and a PC client.
"The PV MediaFusion platform enables mobile operators to evolve and adapt their business models in real time in order to meet the ever-changing needs of customers," said Mark Banham, Senior Vice President of Engineering, Media Service Products, PV. "We worked closely with Rogers to ensure a seamless transition to a DRM-free model, and we look forward to continued success alongside Rogers."
Rogers' new catalogue of DRM-free music currently includes more than 1.5 million tracks, offered on a tiered pricing system, with prices ranging from $0.69, $0.99 and up to $1.29, plus applicable download fees. Rogers customers can also order full albums – in many cases for less than $10 plus applicable download fees – in advance of their release date.
*Applicable taxes appear on customer invoice
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About PV:
Founded in 1998, PacketVideo is the software pioneer powering the world’s leading multimedia services on millions of home and mobile devices. PacketVideo is a subsidiary of NextWave Wireless Inc. (NASDAQ: WAVE).
About Rogers:
Rogers Communications is a diversified Canadian communications and media company. We are engaged in wireless voice and data communications services through Wireless, Canada's largest wireless provider. Through Cable, we are one of Canada's leading providers of cable television services as well as high-speed Internet access and telephony services. Through Media, we are engaged in radio and television broadcasting, televised shopping, magazines and trade publications, and sports entertainment. We are publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RCI.A and RCI.B) and on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: RCI). For further information about the Rogers group of companies, please visit www.rogers.com.
Note
Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains
“forward-looking statements” for purposes of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no
assurances that forward-looking statements will be achieved, and actual events
or results could differ materially from the events or results predicted or from
any other forward-looking statements made by, or on behalf of, PV, and should
not be considered as an indication of future events or results. Important
factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially are
described in filings of our parent company, NextWave Wireless Inc. (NASDAQ:
WAVE) with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All such documents are
available through the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. PV makes no commitment to
revise or update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect changes in
events or circumstances after the date any such statement is made, except as
may be required pursuant to applicable law.
For further information:
Ruder Finn
Jeff Seedman / Gabriella Asmus
(310) 882-4009 / (415) 348-2721
seedman@ruderfinn.com / asmusg@ruderfinn.com
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