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WARNER MUSIC GROUP ANNOUNCES LANDMARK RINGTONE AGREEMENT
MADONNA set to be first exclusive ‘Featured Artist’ on
new online retail store. In a first-of-its-kind agreement
between a major music company and the leading Internet
communications company, Warner Music Group Corp. (NYSE: WMG) last
week
announced it will make available master recordings from WMG’s roster
of world-renowned recording artists as ringtones to the more than 74
million registered users of Skype, who benefit from unlimited voice
and video calls for free over the Internet.
In the coming months, consumers will be able to download master
ringtones from WMG artists including Madonna, Green Day, Mike Jones,
Paul Wall, D4L, T.I., and many more to Skype’s leading Internet
calling service for play back when Skype users receive incoming
calls.
Always at the forefront of musical trends, Madonna will be the sole
artist to headline the ‘Featured Artist’ section of the Skype
online retail store upon its launch. In addition, Skype’s online
retail store (personal.skype.com)
will feature master ringtones of “Hung Up,” “Push” and
“Sorry,”
the eagerly anticipated new single from Madonna’s latest
multi-platinum album, Confessions on a Dance Floor, as well as past
Madonna hits “Like A Virgin,” “Vogue” and more.
Skype’s “Featured Artist Program” will showcase content from
a single artist and will include a direct link to an artist-branded
page where ringtones can be purchased.
“Warner Music Group is pleased to partner with Skype as they
launch the first music personalization products in the Internet
voice calling category. We are excited that more than 74 million Skype users
around the world will now have the ability to enjoy content from
Warner Music Group artists. Furthermore, this agreement exemplifies
our commitment to finding new ways our artists’ music can be
experienced across emerging platforms and distribution channels."
said Alex Zubillaga, Executive Vice
President, Digital Strategy and Business Development at Warner Music
Group. "As Skype
continues to grow as a mass market phenomena we are excited to
partner with industry leaders in the entertainment industry like
Warner Music, to offer great content from artists, such as Madonna,
to Skype’s fast growing global user base”, said Saul Klein,
Vice President Worldwide Marketing, Skype.
The Skype retail store is expected to eventually expand to include
ringback tones and other music-based personalization content from
WMG artists. |
Warrington leads the way on e-auctions
LOCAL authorities came together in Warrington for an online
reverse e-auction to purchase goods at advantageous prices.
The Council spearheaded the initiative, which took place on Monday
30 January at the Town Hall, to enable the authorities taking part
to purchase green-wheeled bins at advantageous prices.
Those authorities involved were:-
- Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council
- Bury Metropolitan
Borough Council
- Eden District Council
- Liverpool City Council
- North Warwickshire
Borough Council
- Staffordshire Moorlands
District Council
- Tameside Metropolitan
Borough Council
- Wirral Metropolitan
Borough Council
As part of a reverse
e-auction, suppliers put items up for auction and buyers then submit
bids until the lowest price is reached. The supplier who 'wins'
the auction has agreed to provide the service or product to the
buyer
at the lowest price bid. The use of an e-auction is an
innovation in the way the Council purchases goods. It is looked upon
nationally as an example of good practice, an innovative approach
to buying basic items.
Cllr John Morris,
Executive Board Member for Resources and who opened the event,
said:- "Warrington, along with other councils and
organisations, is always striving to improve its organisational
efficiency. Smarter procurement and procuring collaboratively with
other partners to achieve better prices and savings on the vast
range of goods we purchase is key part of the Council's drive for
organisational efficiency."
Yvonne Bottomley,
Strategic Director for Corporate Services, said:- "The Council
has an impressive track record of partnership working and the event
today is a further example of innovative and cutting edge
partnership working by the Council and its partners. A simple
item like a wheeled bin is a vital tool in delivering Council
services and is an area of potentially high spend where substantial
savings could be made. We are spearheading a consortium of local
authorities across the North West and West Midlands that
demonstrates a real commitment to collaborative working."
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