Israeli start-up Amobee Media Systems Ltd. will provide Vodafone Italia with ad-funded mobile video content to the operator's 29.1 million Italian customers. Amobee's FreeVideo service will allow Vodafone Italia UMTS users to access a wide range of high-quality, local and branded video content for free in return for receiving relevant commercial messages from major brands.
Amobee has similar contracts with Vodafone plc (LSE; NYSE: VOD) affiliates in the Czech Republic, Greece, and Spain. The company's solutions enable ad-funded peer-to-peer SMS and games as well as advertising on Vodafone Live!
Amobee and Vodafone Italia's partners include mobile TV and video services provider QuickPlay Media and the Dada Ad agency. UMTS users with a video-enabled handset will be able to watch free news, sport, comedy and music clips from media brands such as e-Class, Dorna and Digital Magics. Amobee instantly processes the user's profile and contextual information and selects a relevant "pre-roll" video ad, followed by the video content and then a "post-roll" ad.
Amobee CEO Zohar Levkovitz said, "We've been rolling out new mobile advertising deals with Vodafone across Europe. Vodafone Italia is the latest step in a very successful relationship. Ad-funded video services enable operators to develop a new revenue opportunity as brands make use of mobile as a channel to reach audiences. It also allows users to watch mobile video for free. Vodafone is really making great strides in maximizing the potential of this."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on January 23, 2008
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