Oplayo Announces Agreement to Develop Mass Market Mobile Phone Video Player Using Windows Media 9 Series

Video streaming expert Oplayo today announced that they will develop a mobile phone video player using Microsoft Windows Media 9 Series. For the first time, video clips using Windows Media 9 Series will be able to be watched on the latest mass market phones.

Oplayos mass market mobile video player 'OplayerJV and various automated encoding products will adopt Windows Media 9 Series and a number of new products will be released including; Oplayo/Windows 2003 Enterprise Server Plug-In, Oplayo Playlist Generator, Encoding Tools, Media Players for mass market handsets. Video content in Windows Media 9 Series will be able to be viewed on an estimated 50 million colour screen phones that will have been sold by the end of Q3 2003.

With Oplayos ability to deliver streaming video and audio to millions of handsets, content owners can new reach new audiences with the high-quality of Windows Media 9 Series to provide consumers with a great media playback experience," said Jonathan Usher, director, Windows Digital Media Division at Microsoft Corp.

Philip Bourchier OFerrall, UK Managing Director at Oplayo commented: Oplayo streaming technology underpins the mass market mobile video marketplace and enables cross-network flexibility. Working with Microsoft is another indicator that Oplayo is leading the way in bringing mobile video to the mass market." This deal means that the mobile video market comes much sooner than anyone thought. More content as content providers can use Windows Server 2003, more handsets due to Oplayo already in 2.5G instead of 3G"

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Notes to editors
Microsoft has signed the agreement contracting Oplayo to create the software required for mass market video streaming to mobile phone handsets. The agreement signed early August 2003 will offer Windows Media Server 2003 content owners to gain access to the otherwise untapped multi-million handset market. Microsoft and Oplayo will unveil early versions of the product at the IBC event, Amsterdam, 11-15 September 2003.

About Oplayo
Oplayo develops leading edge streaming video and rich media technology for the fixed internet and wireless devices. Oplayo's technology gives end-users an easy-to-use, "instant play" rich-media experience. Founded in 1999, Oplayo's corporate headquarters are in Helsinki, Finland, with offices in London and Munich. Oplayo's investors include Nokia Venture Partners, Zouk Ventures, Holtron and TEKES, the National Technology Agency of Finland. Its clients include Pfizer, KPMG, CNN, NBC Sports, GM and Universal Pictures.