Sony Ericsson will launch a mobile phone service with unlimited music downloads within weeks, the company said today, as it competes with Nokia in expanding business beyond the sale of handsets.
Sony Ericsson's PlayNow Plus will be available solely through telecoms operators. Subscribers will be able to access to millions of songs and keep up to 300 songs after their 6-18 month contracts end.
PlayNow Plus draws from Sony Ericsson's collaboration with Omnifone and licensing terms with music labels including EMI, Sony BMG, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music.
"Expanding our PlayNow service portfolio by adding PlayNow Plus and by launching PlayNow arena in Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria and the UK during the fourth quarter, are key elements of the Sony Ericsson service strategy," said Rikko Sakaguchi, Senior Vice President at Sony Ericsson. "These steps and the addition of Universal's catalogue to the music offering in both services gives us every possibility to provide customers and consumers with what we feel is important and requested - an unparalleled user experience on Sony Ericsson devices."
PlayNow Plus will launch with operator Telenor in Sweden in the fourth quarter of this year, with further roll-outs around the world beginning in early 2009. A special edition of the Sony Ericsson W902 Walkman phone will be the first product released with an integrated PlayNow Plus service.
