RealNetworks today announced two additional leading Asian mobile operators have licensed RealNetworks' Helix mobile technology. MobileOne (M1) of Singapore and PT Indosat Multimedia Mobile (IM3) of Indonesia have each selected RealNetworks as the technology provider to help deliver consumer-focused audio and video services to customers' multimedia-enabled mobile devices. The RealNetworks' Helix mobile technology is an open, multi- format mobile platform that enables operators to stream live and on-demand Internet audio and video content to mobile devices enabled with the RealOne Player or other multimedia-enabled applications. M1 and IM3 now have the technology foundation to deliver compelling content such as premium news, sports and entertainment to customers when and where the customer wants.
"Working with industry leaders like RealNetworks, the proven leader in digital media delivery and services, will ensure that we continue to provide our customers with only the best mobile services well into the future," said Steven Chan, director of Internet Services and Product Development, MobileOne Ltd. "Using RealNetworks' Helix mobile products has helped M1 to maintain our innovative leadership in delivering video streaming services to our customers." M1 customers can now enjoy a large selection of premium content, including: music videos, live video broadcasts from Channel NewsAsia, and exclusive video highlights of English Premier League Football.
IM3 is a leading Indonesian telecommunication and GSM operator that continues to drive advancements in services offered to the Indonesian mobile market. "IM3 is proud to be the first and only operator to provide Indonesian customers with live and on-demand audio and video to their mobile handsets," said Yudhi Rulanto, President Director, PT Indosat Multimedia Mobile. "It has been a pleasure to work with RealNetworks' standards-supporting mobile platform to launch a groundbreaking service that provides our customers with anywhere, anytime mobile access to the broadest selection and highest-quality popular content".
M1 and IM3 are part of a global operator trend to implement RealNetworks' Helix mobile technologies as the foundation for delivering value-added audio and video services to mobile customers.
"RealNetworks is pleased to be enabling a new era of mobile audio and video throughout Asia," said Ian Freed, vice president Mobile Products and Services, RealNetworks, Inc. "Asian mobile operators have a solid reputation for developing successful and profitable innovations. Being selected to power new media services for M1 and IM3 is an important win for RealNetworks and signals that our market leading mobile solutions are understood by operators as the foundation for launching profitable new services."
Already this year, RealNetworks has announced a variety of agreements with mobile operators worldwide. In February, Hong Kong CSL became the first Asian operator to announce plans to stream mobile video services using RealNetworks' Helix technology. In June, the Vodafone Group PLC, the world's largest group of mobile operators with a presence in 36 countries, announced it had chosen RealNetworks to provide mobile media delivery technology to power audio and video services for it's new Vodafone live! In August, Sprint and RealNetworks announced the availability of RealOne mobile for Sprint PCS Vision customers. Sprint was the first North American operator to launch a comprehensive, brand- name mobile multimedia service.
RealNetworks' end-to-end mobile media solution is comprised of the following Helix-based mobile technologies: the Helix Universal Server -- Mobile, Helix Universal Gateway -- Mobile, Helix Mobile Producer, along with the RealOne Player. The Company's end-to-end mobile media solution supports every major mobile format including the 3GPP standards H.263, AMR and MPEG-4, as well as RealAudio and RealVideo.