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  1. #1
    vinsanity
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    'Ringback' Tones May Be Next Big Thing

    Sun Nov 28, 6:35 PM ET Technology - AP

    By BRUCE MEYERSON, AP Business Writer

    NEW YORK - Ring tones are so yesterday. If wireless companies have their way, the next multibillion-dollar surprise in the cellular business will be "Ringback" tones.

    Instead of the usual dialing noise that people hear when phoning someone, callers to Verizon Wireless subscribers may soon find themselves listening to a song until the phone is answered.

    The service, pioneered by SK Telecom of Korea, is debuting in the United States in California and is slated to be available nationally by mid-2005.

    Verizon Wireless, a partnership between Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone Group PLC, is charging 99 cents per month plus an annual fee of $1.99 for each Ringback Tone chosen. Other U.S. carriers are said to be considering a similar service.

    Verizon subscribers can assign specific tunes for different callers to hear, choosing among 2,200 songs from 13 music genres provided by Warner Music Group and Sony BMG Music Entertainment.

    SK Telcom, which developed the technology being used by Verizon, introduced its "ColoRing" service in Korea two years ago and has since licensed it to carriers in Vietnam, Singapore, the Philippines and Indonesia.

    About a third of SK Telecom's 18 million customers were using the service after the first year, generating monthly revenues of $8 million, said Michele Mackenzie, an industry analyst for Ovum, a London-based technology consulting firm.

    T-Mobile, a unit of Deutsche Telekom AG of Germany, led the way in Europe with the launch of "Caller Tunes" about a year ago. In June, T-Mobile reported 500,000 customers in Britain, Germany and the Czech Republic.

    Although similar services have been introduced by Vodafone Germany, Telefonica Spain and Tele2 Sweden, ringback revenues for all of western Europe are expected to total just $16 million for 2004, Mackenzie estimates.

    She and others are skeptical that ringback tones can duplicate the success of ring tones, noting that people who pay for them never get to actually hear them.

    "Ringback tones are, essentially, a fashion statement. Their only real purpose is to show off to others who are calling you. The problem, then, is that fashion statements go out of fashion — sometimes very quickly," he said.


    they're takin this cell phone sh*t way too far now

    seriously quit throwing your money away to these phone companies and go and buy a f*cking mp3 player


    See More: 'Ringback' Tones May Be Next Big Thing
    Last edited by vinsanity; 11-28-2004 at 11:37 PM.




  2. #2
    Mark
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    It would be cool for da first 2 times someone rings your fone. den people will just get annoyed and not boder ringin ya anymore!
    Last edited by Mark; 11-29-2004 at 08:29 AM.



  3. #3
    cleobtw
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    I think that it is going to be annoying, but who knows...maybe it will catch on.



  4. #4
    da5ma11guy
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    and thats why they give u ****tin ring tones to start wif



  5. #5
    Cocoa8301
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    I have it on my Tmobile phone...it's kinna cool, because when people call it plays 'Have yourself a merry little christmas'...but i dont think i'll keep the service after the free trial



  6. #6
    socofoshoyo
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    hm....interesting.....it'll be cool if you can choose what song it is and switch em around every once and a while



  7. #7
    ayaknow
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    seems ok to me



  8. #8
    Mannydas
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    yes tmobile uk hav already started this, my friend has this feature cost like £3 or something and then like a £1 a month for it afterwards and u can change the song etc etc

    Never Fear Manny is Here
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  9. #9
    Mark
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    Yeah i heard the ads for it hear the other day! I wont be getting it anyway! Doesnt really appeal to me to be honest!



  10. #10
    Mannydas
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    dnt actually see the point though coz ur never gonna actually hear it are ya unless u ring urself lol

    Never Fear Manny is Here
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  11. #11
    Cocoa8301
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    Everyone will think it's your voicemail and hang up. I had CallerTunes with TMObile for about a week before the novelty wore off



  12. #12
    TopToffee
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    just sounds annoying to me.



  13. #13
    ski_power
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    Isn't the monthly charges wrong, over Orange charges only per song, and not every month, and the charges is also only Rs. 10/ which is around 10/43rd'th' of a $$, and nothing monthly as long as you dont change the song.
    What you lookin' here for ehhh?



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