modu and Universal Music Group (UMG), the world´s largest music
company, today announced they are jointly exploring the development of
a range of mobile devices (modu jackets) that will feature some of
UMG´s best-known artists.
UMG is the first music company to exploit modu´s unique and
revolutionary mobile phone concept, which allows consumers to use a
slimmed down, standalone mobile phone, and then enclose it in an
endless variety of modu jackets and modu mates to reflect their
individual mood, personality, tastes and need for functionality at an
affordable price.
The jackets, designed with unique, artist specific attributes,
will have differentiated physical expressions as well as fast and
simple access to preloaded content andor music subscriptions.
The first music jacket is expected to be available towards the end
of 2008, when modu´s mobile network operator partnerships become
operational and modu devices are available to consumers.
Jacob Shama, Vice President of Value Added Products at modu, said:
"This is new territory for the mobile industry, and for the music
industry. Music jackets incorporate mobile phone features along with
strong artist identity and music content. Music jackets can be offered
in very large varieties at affordable prices. I am excited to see how
modu opens up the mobile market to labels, artists, bands, lifestyle
and fashion brands giving them a solid platform to engage directly in
a tangible way with their consumer base and communities."
Rob Wells, Senior Vice President, Digital, Universal Music Group
International, said: "What modu have done is incredible. Their
revolutionary platform has opened up mobile phones to new music
products and services that simply didn´t exist before modu came along.
UMG takes the mobile channel seriously, and our strategic partnership
with modu reflects the potential we see in this dynamic and exciting
market."
NOTES TO EDITORS
About modu
www.modumobile.com
modu was established by Dov Moran and several of his colleagues
from msystems, a company he founded and sold to SanDisk in 2006 for
$1.6B. modu´s vision is to bring a fundamental change to the dynamics
of the mobile phone industry. The company is dedicated to developing
products, technologies, a wide ecosystem and business relationships
that will help realize that ambition. modu will have its official
launch at the Mobile World Congress, being held in Barcelona, Spain in
February 2008.
modu gives users the freedom to choose a new phone as often as
they like, meeting their changing needs, preferences and style- easily
and affordably. At the heart of the modu ecosystem is modu - a tiny
and sophisticated mobile phone. modu can be slipped into a wide
variety of modu jackets - stylish phone enclosures that enable users
to create a new look or design and provide added functionality. modu
can also slip into modu mates- consumer electronic devices that are
modu-enabled - allowing users to create an entirely new communication
experience.
Mobile World Congress
modu will be exhibiting at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona
from Monday, 11th February until Thursday, 14th February:
-- Hospitality Suite: Z6.2
-- Booth: 7E46
-- Fira de Barcelona
Avenue de la Reina Maria Christina
Barcelona, Spain 08004
About Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group (UMG) is the world´s largest music company
with wholly owned record operations or licensees in 77 countries. Its
business also includes Universal Music Publishing Group, the world´s
leading publishing company. UMG´s labels include Decca, Deutsche
Grammophon, Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Island Def Jam Music Group,
Lost Highway Records, Machete Music, MCA Nashville, Mercury Nashville,
Mercury Records, Philips, Polydor Records, Universal Music Latino,
Universal Motown Republic Group, Universal South Records and Verve
Music Group, as well as a multitude of record labels owned or
distributed by its record company subsidiaries around the world. The
Universal Music Group owns the most extensive catalog of music in the
industry, which is marketed through two distinct divisions, Universal
Music Enterprises (in the U.S.) and Universal Strategic Marketing
(outside the U.S.). Universal Music Group also includes eLabs, a new
media and technologies division, Bravado, its merchandising company,
and Twenty-First Artists, its full service management division.
Universal Music Group is a unit of Vivendi, a global media and
communications company.
