Vodafone Extends Music Services with RealNetworks

Vodafone and RealNetworks have announced a multi-year global partnership today to support Vodafone's music services across Europe. The agreement will make RealNetworks' mobile music services, including Internet radio-style streaming music and the ability to purchase and download full songs, available to Vodafone customers in Europe. These services are available today from Vodafone in Germany, Ireland, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Romania and the UK. The Internet radio-style streaming music service is available in France.

These services are currently provided to Vodafone by Sony NetServices, a joint venture of Sony DADC and Sony Europe that was acquired today by RealNetworks.

The Vodafone partnership provides Real with a foundation to deliver its full portfolio of digital entertainment services to Vodafone customers. This includes the platform gained through today's acquisition of Sony NetServices, whose technology center and infrastructure in Salzburg, Austria, will continue to support delivery of music services to Vodafone customers, as well as the capabilities gained from its acquisition of WiderThan, a global leader in providing digital music services that can be delivered to, and synchronized across, customers' mobile device and their PC.

With the addition of Vodafone as a customer, RealNetworks now has 12 music on demand customers with more than 196 million mobile subscribers in 11 countries. Real's Technology and Product Solutions division provides services on an ASP basis to more than 75 communications carriers in 37 countries worldwide."

Posted to the site on 16th May 2007