UK / US : Volantis announced that Channel 4 has engaged in a new licensing agreement to merchandize a broad variety of rich media content for the UK television broadcaster's mobile services offering.

Channel 4's mobile service went live in May 2005, with a mobile portal developed and hosted as a managed service by Volantis. The new platform
- based on Volantis' Mobile Content Storefront(tm) - provides Channel 4 with a low-cost, low-risk solution to further expand its brand into mobile.

In 2006 mobile has become a key part of Channel 4's overall new media strategy and as a consequence Channel 4 has migrated to a licensing agreement that will support the development of new, unique material for mobile devices. The new agreement will also broaden Channel 4's presence with carriers by delivering an enhanced portal offering.

According to Riccardo Donato, Head of Telephony - Business Development at Channel 4 New Media, "Upgrading to a license gives us more control over the development of content and the flexibility to change the service and experiment with new features. We are now able to dynamically deliver the best editorial content and better represent the whole range of Channel 4's output."

"Channel 4 was the first terrestrial broadcaster to launch a mobile portal, demonstrating its commitment to the mobile sector." said Matthew Harris, Chief Executive Officer of Volantis. "We are pleased to expand our relationship with one of the leading content companies in the world."

With Volantis Mobile Content Storefront(tm), wireless carriers and content providers can manage, sell and promote a wide variety of mobile content-including wallpapers, ringtones, audio and video, streaming content, games and interactive content such as quizzes, polls, and competitions. Volantis' Storefront includes personalization capabilities, and pricing and charging facilities that allow powerful merchandizing such as subscriptions, loyalty schemes and promotions.

Using Volantis technology, Channel 4's mobile portal is optimized for individual handsets, ensuring each user enjoys a the best possible user experience, depending on the capabilities of the handset - all based on technology unique to Volantis. Volantis software recognizes more than 500 feature and performance attributes on over 3,200 mobile devices to generate the optimum content format for each device.

Channel 4 launched its mobile portal in May 2005 to coincide with the start of Big Brother 6. At launch, viewers who used text messages to try and evict contestants received an SMS reply from Channel 4 with a link to the mobile portal where they could download exclusive video and pictures of the housemates.

The Channel 4 mobile portal now features Channel 4 News, a daily Hollyoaks catch-up service and clips from Desperate Housewives and Lost. It also encompasses quizzes, voting, competitions and music downloads. The service is currently a pay-per-download model although Channel 4 has also recently experimented with advertising.

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