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    HomeNewsOmnifone in International Partnership to Power Sony Ericsson Unlimited Music Phones

    Omnifone in International Partnership to Power Sony Ericsson Unlimited Music Phones

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    Omnifone has today announced it has signed an international
    strategic partnership with Sony Ericsson, to power a wide range of unlimited
    music phones. The service, PlayNow plus, is due to debut with Telenor in
    Sweden later this year.

    Martin Blomkvist, Director and Head of Global Content
    Acquisition & Partner Management, Sony Ericsson stated, "Omnifone was the
    clear partner of choice for PlayNow plus. As the leading independent
    provider of unlimited music services, Omnifone has enabled us to deliver the
    most innovative and attractive solution for our operator partners and
    end-users."

    The PlayNow plus-enabled mobiles will come bundled with up
    to 1,000 pre-loaded tracks at purchase and, at the end of the initial
    subscription period, will enable consumers to retain a specific number of
    their favourite tracks in a DRM-free MP3 format for use on their next phone,
    desktop computer or any other digital music device.

    "Omnifone's partnership with Sony Ericsson for PlayNow
    plus will drive global mass market uptake of legal unlimited digital music
    downloads on mobile," said Rob Lewis, CEO of Omnifone. "Walkman is the
    world's most iconic portable music brand and Omnifone is partnering with Sony
    Ericsson to bring a fully integrated unlimited music downloads service to
    millions of Walkman mobile users, with the potential to increase operator
    music revenues whilst providing unlimited music to consumers, with the
    ability for consumers to convert their favourite tracks and keep them
    DRM-free forever."

    PlayNow plus consumers will also be able to download
    unlimited amounts of music to their desktop computer, using PlayNow plus
    Desktop, which synchronises effortlessly with the PlayNow plus mobile
    experience, using broadband and 3G/HSDPA connectivity.

    PlayNow plus over-the-air music downloads will utilise the
    state-of-the-art high quality eAAC Plus format, with very fast track
    downloads. PlayNow plus is integrated into Sony Ericsson's TrackID
    music recognition service enabling unlimited direct-to-device music sampling
    and downloading for no additional cost. PlayNow plus is also fully
    compatible with the Sony Ericsson PlayNow a la carte service which allows
    consumers to purchase individual music tracks DRM-free, on a track by track
    basis.

    Omnifone and Sony Ericsson have agreed licensing terms with
    Universal Music Group, SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, EMI Music, Warner

    Music
    Group and leading independents for DRM-free Keep Your Favourites (KYF) for
    Sony Ericsson handsets with unlimited access to a vast international content
    catalogue, localised for each individual market.

    Rob Wells, Senior Vice President, Digital, Universal Music
    Group International stated; "We believe the combination of Omnifone's leading
    edge unlimited music capability paired with Sony Ericsson's popular range of
    music phones will have lasting implications for the delivery of digital music
    services globally. Consumers will have the ability to download, play and
    share music, on the brand of devices which were ultimately responsible for
    starting the mobile music revolution."

    "The PlayNow plus service offers music fans an innovative
    and exciting new way to explore SONY BMG's rich catalogue," commented Thomas
    Hesse, President, Global Digital Business and U.S. Sales, SONY BMG MUSIC
    ENTERTAINMENT. "With such a vast collection of songs accessible through their
    mobile phones, consumers will have the opportunity to enjoy their favorites
    and also discover new music and new artists. We think this service is a great
    solution for consumers because it makes the listening and discovery
    experience more fun than ever before."

    Ian Whitfield, Vice President, Digital Business Development
    for EMI Music: "As the digital music market continues to evolve, EMI's role
    is to bring artists and their fans closer together by giving consumers
    innovative, effective and legal ways to enjoy our artists' music how they
    want to and PlayNow plus is a perfect example of this. With the
    experience and reach of Sony Ericsson behind it, PlayNow plus is a very
    exciting new service for music consumers and we're very pleased to give it
    our support."

    Eric Daugan, Vice President, Digital Business, Warner Music
    EMEA, commented, "Sony Ericsson and Omnifone have both separately pioneered
    the evolution of mobile music, so we're delighted to now be working with
    their combined expertise on this highly innovative service. By bringing
    together a simple, compelling user experience with first class music-enabled
    devices, PlayNow plus is a hugely attractive consumer offer and
    represents an exciting step forward for mobile entertainment. This
    wide-ranging music service will be a powerful platform through which fans
    will be empowered to quickly and easily discover, explore and enjoy our
    artists' music wherever they are, whenever they want."