Vringo
Encyclopedia
Vringo is a content-sharing platform that provides personalized video
ringtones for mobile phone
s. Vringo users join the service on the Vringo website and install software onto their phone. When one Vringo user calls another, a video (either a user-created ringtone or an existing ringtone from Vringo's video library) selected by the caller will play on the phone of the recipient. The service allows users to customize ringtones with video, images or slideshows. Vringo ringtones can be transferred between users and shared on online social networks such as Myspace
and Facebook
.
and venture capital
ist Jonathan Medved and mobile software specialist David Goldfarb. The company was initially funded by private equity firm Warburg Pincus
in 2007. By December 2009, it had raised $14 million in funding. On January 29, 2010, Vringo filed an S-1 with the SEC for a forthcoming IPO. Vringo priced its IPO on June 22, 2010 selling 2.4 million shares at $4.60 each for a total of $11 million.
In 2007, Vringo was licensed by Universal Music Group
to allow users access to Universal's library of music videos. In 2009, Vringo made a similar deal with Marvel Comics
that provided video ringtones featuring characters such as Captain America
and Wolverine
. In 2010, Vringo gained partnerships with other major artists, celebrities and content providers including T-Pain
, Muhammad Ali
, Tiesto
, Turner, Hungama Mobile, RTL
and Ingrooves. , Vringo maintained a library of over 5,000 clips.
providing their video ringtone service to more than 2,000,000 mobile subscribers. Later that year in October, Vringo developed and launched the first video ringtone and social caller ID application for Android devices. Vringo also partnered with Maxis Berhad, Malaysia’s largest mobile operator, to provide that country’s first fully hosted video ringtone service in December 2009 and had over 100,000 subscribers by November 2010. On February 9, 2010 Telenor
of Norway
began to host Vringo. In August 2010, Vringo announced a partnership with Everything Everywhere
Limited, the UK’s largest mobile communications company. On September 28, 2010 Vringo announced a carrier partnership with StarHub
of Singapore
. In late October 2010, Vringo partnered with Bango
allowing all mobile subscribers in the UK access to their video ringtone application.
Video
Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
ringtones for mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
s. Vringo users join the service on the Vringo website and install software onto their phone. When one Vringo user calls another, a video (either a user-created ringtone or an existing ringtone from Vringo's video library) selected by the caller will play on the phone of the recipient. The service allows users to customize ringtones with video, images or slideshows. Vringo ringtones can be transferred between users and shared on online social networks such as Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
and Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
.
History
Vringo is a Delaware corporation which was founded in 2006 by entrepreneurEntrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
and venture capital
Venture capital
Venture capital is financial capital provided to early-stage, high-potential, high risk, growth startup companies. The venture capital fund makes money by owning equity in the companies it invests in, which usually have a novel technology or business model in high technology industries, such as...
ist Jonathan Medved and mobile software specialist David Goldfarb. The company was initially funded by private equity firm Warburg Pincus
Warburg Pincus
Warburg Pincus, LLC is an American private equity firm with offices in the United States, Europe, Brazil and Asia. It has been a private equity investor since 1966...
in 2007. By December 2009, it had raised $14 million in funding. On January 29, 2010, Vringo filed an S-1 with the SEC for a forthcoming IPO. Vringo priced its IPO on June 22, 2010 selling 2.4 million shares at $4.60 each for a total of $11 million.
In 2007, Vringo was licensed by Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
to allow users access to Universal's library of music videos. In 2009, Vringo made a similar deal with Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
that provided video ringtones featuring characters such as Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
and Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
. In 2010, Vringo gained partnerships with other major artists, celebrities and content providers including T-Pain
T-Pain
Faheem Rasheed Najm , better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor, currently signed to Young Money Entertainment. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second studio album Epiphany,...
, Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
, Tiesto
Tiësto
Tijs Michiel Verwest, , known as Tiësto , is a Dutch musician, DJ and record producer of electronic dance music. Although he has used many aliases in the past, he is best known for his work as DJ Tiësto...
, Turner, Hungama Mobile, RTL
RTL Television
Rtl.de' redirects here. For other uses, see RTL.RTL Television , or simply RTL, is a German commercial television station distributed via cable and satellite along with DVB-T , in larger population centres...
and Ingrooves. , Vringo maintained a library of over 5,000 clips.
Key mobile partnerships and milestones
In June 2009, Vringo partnered with VivaCell of ArmeniaArmenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
providing their video ringtone service to more than 2,000,000 mobile subscribers. Later that year in October, Vringo developed and launched the first video ringtone and social caller ID application for Android devices. Vringo also partnered with Maxis Berhad, Malaysia’s largest mobile operator, to provide that country’s first fully hosted video ringtone service in December 2009 and had over 100,000 subscribers by November 2010. On February 9, 2010 Telenor
Telenor
Telenor Group is the incumbent telecommunications company in Norway, with headquarters located at Fornebu, close to Oslo. Today, Telenor Group is mostly an international wireless carrier with operations in Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and Asia, working predominantly under the Telenor brand...
of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
began to host Vringo. In August 2010, Vringo announced a partnership with Everything Everywhere
Everything Everywhere
Everything Everywhere Limited is a mobile network operator and internet service provider company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the largest mobile network operator in the UK, with around 28 million customers...
Limited, the UK’s largest mobile communications company. On September 28, 2010 Vringo announced a carrier partnership with StarHub
StarHub
StarHub Limited is a full-fledged telecommunications company providing a full range of services over mobile, internet and fixed platforms in Singapore...
of Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. In late October 2010, Vringo partnered with Bango
Bango plc
Bango provides technology that enables commerce on the mobile web. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange .Bango products allow the collection of payment for on-line content and services and provide web analytics for mobile marketing campaigns and sites.Bango provides the Mobile Payment...
allowing all mobile subscribers in the UK access to their video ringtone application.
Awards
- Global Telecoms Business Wireless Network Infrastructure Innovation Award for launch of the world’s first paid video ringtone service
- Chosen by AlwaysOn as an “OnMedia Top 100 Winner”
- Sony EricssonSony EricssonSony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB is a joint venture established on October 1, 2001 by the Japanese consumer electronics company Sony Corporation and the Swedish telecommunications company Ericsson to manufacture mobile phones....
Special Recognition Award Winner: “Best Use of Phone Functionality” - MIPCOMMipcom-MIPCOM:MIPCOM is a TV and entertainment market which is held in the town of Cannes once every year, normally in October.It is essentially a content event for co-producing, buying, selling, financing and distributing entertainment content...
Mobile and Internet Award winner: “Best Mobile Service for Social Community & User Generated Content“