Vringo, a startup launched last year, wants to help you send video to your friends' phones.
To use the service, customers join the Vringo community for free and install a small piece of software onto their phones. Then, when one Vringo member calls another, instead of a ringtone, the recipient of the call is treated to a video clip chosen -- and paid for -- by the sender.
Every call thus becomes an opportunity to share content and to establish identity -- the wireless equivalent of the "hey, dude, check out this YouTube video" culture of the Internet.
If it catches on, Vringo has the potential to be about far more than just sharing clips, though. Advertisers are intrigued by the idea of using mobile phones to pitch their products; Vringo offers the possibility of adding viral marketing to the mix -- essentially, having enthusiastic consumers spread the word for you.
What's in it for Vringo users? Instead of paying for a clip, a caller might get five minutes of free talk time for sending his buddies copies of a new ad.
For now, clips available for Vringo are free, but the company plans to go into commercial mode and start collecting revenues in 2008. Prices for the video clips haven't been revealed, but will be set by mobile operators or the owners of the content.
Vringo website:
vringo.com.
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