zamano corporate blog

Nokia will put a strain on mobile networks by bundling the BBC iPlayer with its N96 device.

Nokia’s flagship phone will support both downloads and streaming audio/video content from the Beeb’s bandwidth-eating catch-up TV service. It will enable users to access BBC TV or radio programmes from the previous seven days for free over 3G or wi-fi connections.

It’s not the first time iPlayer has been made available on mobile though - the BBC began supporting Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch back in March this year.

RealNetworks claims to have developed a service that lets consumers create their own ringbacks from full tracks.

Its new product, Cutting Tune, lets subscribers select tracks from an operator’s music service and turn them into custom ringtones or ringbacks. They can also ‘gift’ them to friends, add effects like fade in/out, and can set a custom interval before the tone is repeated. Cutting Tune can be added to any operator’s Real-powered music service. The product is available for deployment in 2Q2009.

Vern Poyner, SVP of global operations for RealNetworks, said: “Cutting Tune provides an opportunity for mobile operators to increase cross-selling opportunities by offering the ability to customize purchased tracks into unique RTs and — for the first time — RBTs, all through the carrier network.”

BBC Worldwide has opened its first ever mobile web storefront to promote DVDs like Doctor Who.

The sales arm of the broadcaster teamed up with its exclusive licensee 2 entertain and  mobile marketing agency New Visions to create the portal, which will offer download preview clips of big titles. Consumers can access it via shortcode or by using a QR code.

“We’ve been considering mobile for some time,” said Stuart Snaith, MD at 2 entertain, “and this will be a good test for us in the market. We see mobile as a huge opportunity for customers to pre-order our products, so the next phase will be to offer customers the opportunity to purchase our releases via mobile.”