New Standards-Based Web Service For Ringback Tones Now Available From LiveWire Mobile

A new standards-based Web service for ringback tones is now available from LiveWire Mobile, Inc. LiveWire Mobile (News - Alert), Inc. provides managed personalization services for mobile operators. The integrated suite of music and video services from LiveWire Mobile includes ringback tones, ringtones and full track downloads along with dedicated content and service marketing.

 

According to John Orlando, chief marketing officer of LiveWire Mobile, the Web service APIs will open up new markets and business models for ringback tone customers through standardized interfaces. The application provider partners of LiveWire Mobile will be able to integrate into lucrative opportunities like advertising ringbacks and multi-content bundling, for both new and existing deployments at a lower cost and with involvement from the mobile operator’s network resources.

 

The SOA-style Web service function will provide high level, robust APIs allowing application partners the ability to remotely manage subscriber accounts, content and assignments with speed and ease. In addition, an HTTP/XML catalog feed function will open up the on-portal ringback catalog to new revenue channels including third party, off-portal storefronts and advertising ringbacks.

 

According to Lewis Ward, research manager at IDC's (News - Alert) consumer markets group, during the present economic downturn, mobile network operators need to focus on new business models and revenue streams by providing subscribers access to applications and storefronts that significantly increase the value of services. Enabling new mobile services and applications like advertising ringbacks to help subsidize subscriber services and providing access to more entertainment options through off-deck storefronts are all directed towards this objective.

 

The solution will upgrade LiveWire Mobile’s mobile personalization service and enable seamless integration for third parties to introduce off-portal, advertising and content bundling solutions to its ringback tone customers. Advertising ringback uses the time a subscriber waits for a call to be answered to captivate and engage the consumers. Off-portal ringback is a dynamic selling channel that opens up the market by allowing the mobile content community to sell ringbacks directly to the mass market. On the other hand, the ringback content station enables ringback customers to subscribe to a channel of pre-selected content grouped by musical genre, artist or trend. The content might even be grouped based on subscriber demographics. When a friend or family friend calls, the ringback content station will provide a different, personalized tune from the playlist.