Agence France-Presse News Videos Available as Vringo Ringtones
Vringo Users Can Now Personalize Their Ringtones With News Clips -- in Addition to Entertainment Content
Dec. 11, 2007 07:57 AM
PARIS -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 12/11/07 -- Vringo, the
pioneer in video ringtone sharing, and worldwide news agency Agence
France-Presse (AFP) today announced an
alliance that will enable AFP video clips to be integrated into Vringo's
video ringtone service. The announcement was made at LeWeb3 2007.
Using Vringo, mobile phone users worldwide can now seamlessly download
selected AFP video clips in multiple languages onto their mobile handsets
from the Vringo Web site. When a call is placed, the video clip appears on
the recipient's phone screen as a video ringtone, or "Vringo." AFP content
on a wide variety of topics will also be available to all Vringo users on
the Vringo Web site. (See sample clip.)
"AFP produces news video and features for television, the Internet and
mobile phone service," said Gilles Tarot, marketing and sales director of
AFP North America. "And now, through this agreement with Vringo, our
international video coverage will be available in yet another format --
video ringtones, one of the newest and most personal ways of sharing
information."
With the AFP-Vringo alliance, Vringo subscribers can use their buddy lists
to deliver a 2- to 10-second AFP video clip announcing the caller to the
person being called -- or to identify an incoming caller. Users select
their personal Vringo clips through their mobile handsets or online.
Vringos can also be shared with any subscriber in the Vringo community with
a compatible wireless phone.
Vringo services are now available on a wide variety of mobile handsets,
including devices made by Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, Samsung and
others (see full
list of Vringo-compliant handsets).
"Through this agreement with AFP, Vringo users can now share video clips of
current stories with others -- personally selecting information they feel
is important to communicate," said Andrew
Perlman, general manager-Vringo America. "AFP is a wonderful addition
to the Vringo catalog of content providers, expanding the selection beyond
the realm of entertainment."
AFP joins a growing list of content providers now partnering with Vringo,
including Discovery Channel and Universal Music Group.
About Agence France-Presse (AFP)
AFP, worldwide news agency, maintains a network of journalists in 165
countries around the world covering events 24/7 in 6 languages. The AFP
brand guarantees editorial quality and reliability built since the agency
was founded in 1835. The agency also offers multimedia products online:
text, pictures, graphics, animated graphics and video. AFP covers all the
news worldwide, from politics and diplomacy to economy and finance, sports
and culture to science, technology, health and people. Its clients include
the world's major media organizations as well as corporations, governments
and international agencies. Its services are edited at regional centers in
Paris, Nicosia, Washington, Montevideo and Hong Kong.
For more information about AFP, please go to www.afp.com.
About Vringo
Vringo is creating the world's first video ringtone sharing community. The
company is making Personalization 2.0 a reality by enabling users to
experience rich media ringtones on a wide variety of mobile devices and for
the first time to share that media with others within a community. Vringo
is backed by Warburg Pincus and by private investors. More information can
be found at www.vringo.com.