Phonovation to offer premium rate text, voice and 3G mobile service

July 6, 2006

Phonovation has purchased C3's 3G mobile module and is using it to run 3G content and entertainment services in the UK and Eire.

This makes three orders for C3's video module in quick succession, as service providers rush to position themselves to operate 3G services. C3 launched the video module for its Seteca product at the 3GSM conference in Barcelona.

Phonovation, which has been working with broadcasters on a number of prestigious projects such as the voting for the Eurovision Song Contest, is well placed to work UK and Irish broadcasters on new 3G applications in addition to large-volume call-handling, competitions and voting,

In Ireland, where there are no video short codes, Phonovation will work with standard premium rate services. In the UK they expect to work with the new video short codes. Phonovation's Seteca solution will combine text, voice and 3G video, making it a fully multi-modal, interactive solution. They will use this to offer live, personal, paid interactive video services direct to the caller's phone.

The system supports a variety of billing methods including Premium Rate SMS, Reverse-billed SMS, credit card billing and billing by Short Codes. It will also integrate with a service provider's own accounting system.

"We are keen to be early the market with these services," says Paddy Woods of Phonovation. "We can see great potential to use video calls in advertising and promotional applications and we will be exploring this in the coming months. The beauty of the C3 system is that it offers all of the interactive facilities that we have been using with IVR services, giving us a natural progression to 3G."

Comment from John Wood, Managing Director of C3, "We are seeing a number of companies moving to position themselves to work with 3G. They are feeling the pressure to be early in this market and we expect to see the first live 3G premium rate services launching very soon."