Echovox Lauches White Label Websites

Mobile content firm Echovox has launched a white-label service that lets website owners set up their own branded mobile content portal ‘within minutes’, reports Netimperative.The service, called mBoost is an affiliate portal aimed at website owners looking to develop their existing internet businesses into the mobile channel, and open up new wireless revenue opportunities.Echovox said that once a Website owner has signed up, it takes “just ten minutes” to set up a mobile 'storefront' that integrates with any existing web interface, and to start selling mobile content, including ringtones, java games, screen-savers and wallpapers.Affiliates partners earn revenues for each download generated. The service covers 70 countries and works on all networks.M-Boost includes a catalogue of content, with some 200 ringtones added every week to the existing library of 10,000 mono, poly, realtones and mastertones, 5,000 wallpapers and a range of games.

Jamster Rebrands

Jamster has embarked on “a new global brand campaign, simplified subscription plans and an industry- first parental control service”. This includes a new logo, shown here. The press release is fairly innocuous, but many people will see this as an attempt by Jamster to distance itself from a fairly bad reputation its managed to obtain this year. The company talks up Jamster Guardian as an “industry first”, but the main reason Jamster was the first to implement it was because it was one of the main causes for the need for the service in the first place.“Unlike other content providers, the company invests millions of dollars promoting its unique mobile entertainment services through television, online and print advertising”… advertising which has resulted in a lawsuit against the company.The following paragraph also raised some questions in my mind:“In studies recently conducted by Gfk NOP, consumers in the top 25 U.S. markets recognized Jamster for having superior quality content. The brand had notable awareness among respondents and was the only content provider identified by name and recognized for having the best content and advertising. In another study, Jamster was cited as having the highest unaided awareness of non-carrier brands, was considered the “leader in its field” and was found to have one of the most hip and stylish catalogs of all mobile content providers.”Does anyone have access to this study? I can understand Jamster having the highest brand awareness, but I’m a bit surprised that it’s “for having superior quality content”.

LimeLight Launches Convergence

As the article says, these days convergence means more than the Web and TV…C. J. Kettler — the ex-president for sales and marketing at Oxygen Media — and AOL co-founder Stephen M. Case have teamed up to create “a media company devoted to new-age lifestyle programs on subjects like organic food, hybrid cars and alternative medicine” called Lime. Lime will produce content in 26 11- minute segments or 50 5-minute segments in order to make them more accessable by mobile phones or the web, and does a lot of its reporting by blogs. The fact that its on “new media” is important according to Oxygen founder Geraldine Laybourne.“The cable operators have said loud and clear, they don’t want new channels,” Ms. Laybourne said. “Anyone who wants to start a new property has to figure how to expand to other platforms.”Crisp Wireless’s mLogic Media platform is providing the content management and delivery for Lime’s WAP page, which is available on the Verizon Mobile Web 2.0.

GoFish Multimedia Search Engine Launched

GoFish, which launched a multimedia search engine called WebSearchMedia a couple of months ago, has signed a deal with About.com to license the GoFish service.“Multimedia content provided by GoFish is now available across About.com allowing About.com’s more than 26 million monthly visitors the ability to access highly targeted multimedia search results including audio, video, mobile content, games, and user-generated content.”That includes ringtones, mobile games and so on…Another search engine signing up for GoFish’s service is Ask Jeeves…“The first phase of the integration is now live and enables Ask Jeeves users to listen, browse, purchase, and download music, video, podcasts, audio books, movies, music videos, and ringtones. For example, visitors to Ask.com can now search “Depeche Mode” or “Black Eyed Peas” and click “Music Download” within the direct answer provided at the top of the search results page to get the multimedia content they want. Additional integration of GoFish content will be ongoing.”

Mobile Shopping

Russell has reviewed a mobile shopping Java app — Reporo. The idea behind the application is as a portal to various bricks-and-mortar and online shops… the application is free to use and Reporo gets a portion of sales. Russell thought the service worked pretty well, although he was doubtful that it will take off.It may be successful in the same way mobile music downloads may be successful… people eager to make impulse buys.

Mobile Search Upsnap Goes Public

Mobile search company Upsnap has gone public, issuing “nearly 12 million shares of common stock for the initial public offering. At $2 a share-the stock’s opening price-the company appears to have generated more than $20 million by going public”. The shares climbed up to $3.22 throughout the week before settling at $2.68 by mid-day Friday.

Lost on Verizon

As expected, the hit ABC series “Lost” will debut its original mobilsode series on Verizon. “Lost Video Diaries,” a series of 22 two-minute episodes, produced by the company’s home video arm Buena Vista Home Entertainment, will premiere exclusively on the Verizon Wireless V Cast service in January.Verizon charges a $15 monthly fee for subscriptions to VCast, but it has not yet been determined whether an additional fee will be levied on “Lost Video Diaries,” the company said.

Mobile Content News Nielsen

Nielsen has done a couple of new studies, Benchmarking the Active Gamer study and Benchmarking Mobile Entertainment. The studies will be published tomorrow, but there’s quite a few stats available today, including:On average, active mobile phone consumers report spending 17 hours on their phones per week, 13 talking and 4 on data services, surpassing music, video games, movie going and home entertainmentTopping all entertainment expenditures for share of wallet, mobile phone users spend $57.50 each month on their phone and related servicesOf the mobile consumers polled, 60% said they pay for text messaging; 48% for custom ring tones; and 22% for gamesOne in five (21%) teens downloaded at least 10 ringtones in the last three months, including one in eight (12%) who downloaded 15 or more18% of active gamers have downloaded a game to their cell phone, with nearly two-thirds (63%) rating their experience from good to excellent