Indiatimes.com to provide AdRingles to mobile subscribers

Durgesh Gupta -Televisionpoint.com | Mumbai
Indiatimes.com, the leading value-added service provider from the BCCL, is in talks with various telecom operators like Airtel and Vodafone to provide AdRBT (ad ring back tone) service AdRingles to mobile phone subscribers.

Indiatimes.com will provide a platform to advertisers to promote their products. With AdRBTs, each time a person calls an AdRingles customer he will hear an ad or a movie dialogue instead of a ring tone (until the called party answers the call).

When the ad is being played the caller has the option of pressing "0" as a response to hear the product or offer being advertised. This key press is recognised and remembered by the system.

Once the call ends the system triggers an action such as delivery of the offer through a short message text (SMS) giving information about the product. However, the customers cannot buy the product via his handset. The service is expected to be operational next month.

"The service AdRingles is based on ring back tone medium which allows advertisers for lead generation benefiting all stakeholders, including mobile operators, subscribers and advertisers. We are currently running the trials which would be completed in next four to six weeks. We will launch its beta version in October, and a formal launch will take place in January 2009." says Dinesh Wadhawan, managing director and chief executive officer, Times Internet.

Indiatimes.com has also recently launched a new website, called Mocolife.com, which allows its members to send free or paid group SMS's, download mobile ringtones, subscribe to mobile updates on news and astrology and set reminders which will be delivered via SMS at the scheduled time.

Indiatimes.com has also launched mobile portals such as m.economictimes.com and m.timesofindia.com for The Economic Times and The Times of India, respectively.