Worldwide news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) recently announced that it will be making video clips of its news stories available as ring tones for mobile handsets.
The agency has teamed with Vringo, a provider of video ringtone sharing solutions, to integrate the clips into Vringo's video ringtone service. The collaboration allows users around the world to download selected AFP video clips in multiple languages onto their mobile handsets from the Vringo Web site. When a call is placed, the video clip appears on the recipient’s phone screen as a video ringtone. AFP content on a wide variety of topics will also be available to all Vringo users on the company’s Web site.
Gilles Tarot, marketing and sales director of AFP North America, said his company already makes video news clips available to mobile users, but decided to extend these in the form of ringtones, as they are “one of the newest and most personal ways of sharing information.”
With the AFP/Vringo alliance, Vringo subscribers can use their buddy lists to deliver two- to 10-second AFP video clips announcing the caller to the person being called or to identify an incoming caller. Users select their personal Vringo clips through their mobile handsets or online.
Vringo services are now available on a wide variety of mobile handsets, including devices made by Nokia, Motorola, Samsung and Sony Ericsson.
For more information, visit www.afp.com and www.vringo.com.
