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Last Visited: 8/11/2008
In the first week of its launch, Samir Ahuja, QuickPlay's vice president of engineering, said the uptake has been phenomenal.
Like Apple's iTunes on the iPhone, the service runs seamlessly with voice calls and allows the user to check email, text message or use other applications simultaneously.QuickPlay is also providing RIM with audio streaming servcies, QuickPlayer, and video streaming services, called VideoStreams.As of now, the video streaming service is free, but QuickPlay is experimenting with moving towards an ad-supported model, according to Ahuja.
QuickPlay's concentration on radio services for the wireless device comes as the mobile TV market continues to lag in the US.According to an online study released this week by QuickPlay, the majority of wireless carriers now offer a mobile TV and video service, yet only 47% of consumers are aware of it.With the advent of all-you-can-eat data plans, coupled with the growing availability of advanced mobile devices and higher speed networks, carriers are charged with improving marketing of their TV services to increase the uptake.
"Carriers have taken a real step forward in adopting mobile video," Ahuja said.
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"On top of the life cycles we manage, we have an administration console built over the ecosystem," Ahuja said, adding that QuickPlay can determine how many seconds of a clip or advertisement someone has viewed.He said any business model from ad supported to subscription would make sense for carriers.