New Mobile Video Launches in Philippines With Smart & Globe Telecom

An independent mobile video service- Vuclip, has formally launched in the Philippines with relationships with the three largest national carriers, Globe Telecom, Sun Cellular and Smart Communications through its local partner ThumbMOB Philippines, Inc. With this expansion, Vuclip now brings mobile entertainment, movies and news video to over 100 million mobile data plan users in Southeast Asia.

Filipinos are the top Internet video viewers in the world per capita and mobile usage is close to universal at 98.8 percent. With deals closed between Vuclip and all the top carriers, Filipino consumers will be empowered to choose their preferred provider based on factors other than video availability, such as price and quality of service.

"Globe is proud to be the first to introduce the Vuclip service in the Philippines," said Glenn Estrella, Head of Digital Media for Globe Telecom's Consumer Business Group. "With our flexible and competitive data packages for Vuclip, we are confident that our subscribers will enjoy discovering a new world of videos on their mobile phones."

"We have already grown a highly active viewership in India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Launching in the Philippines is a natural extension for us, particularly given the Filipino's appetite for viewing video on mobile phones," said Nickhil Jakatdar, Co-founder and CEO of Vuclip. "We are working with carriers to reduce the data plan fees for consumers so that more of them can watch videos whenever they want. With this approach, we expect to triple our business in Southeast Asia over the next year."

"Even prior to this launch, we had over 350,000 monthly users of Vuclip in the Philippines and we are really excited to accelerate the momentum even further," said Ashwin Puri, Vice President Business Development and Managing Director, Southeast Asia, of Vuclip. "With this launch across all carriers, we hope to make video a mainstream mobile product with Filipinos. Next, we are looking to partner with local content providers and advertisers to include them as part of this ecosystem."

In addition to representing Vuclip with the carriers, ThumbMOB produces and manages local content for Vuclip, and works with advertisers to create alternative, brand-sponsored digital video channels for the Philippines. "ThumbMOB is excited to be at the forefront of an exciting new medium -- mobile video -- on Filipinos' most personal device, their mobile phones," added Patricia Mulles, Founder and CEO of ThumbMOB.

Every day Vuclip delivers more than 12 million videos to viewers in 200+ countries, with more than 360 million videos viewed globally every month. In Southeast Asia specifically in June, Vuclip experienced 25.3 million video views. The top searches included: Luna Maya, Agnes Monica, and Naruto. By way of contrast, the top three searches in the U.S. for the same timeframe included: Justin Bieber, Britney Spears and the Japan earthquake.

Vuclip has become the largest independent mobile video service by focusing on a browser-based solution that leverages HTML5 technology and by securing exclusive local content in major international markets. Distribution partners include Bharti Airtel, DoCoMo and Vodafone (India), Maxis (Malaysia), Telkomsel, XL and Hutch (Indonesia). Vuclip's content relationships with premium content providers include The Associated Press (AP), Billboard, Falcon Interactive, and Times of India

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Libyan Praise OFW medical practitioners serving the war casualties

LIBYA: A visiting Libyan official urged Filipino workers Monday to return to Libya, saying its capital was peaceful and violence was confined to rebel-controlled areas.

Philippine Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said the Philippines is maintaining its policy not to deploy workers there.

NATO airstrikes have hit Tripoli and other targets in the five-month operation to enforce a no-fly zone and protect civilians, but there is a semblance of normalcy in the capital as shops remain open and residents go about normal daily routines.

Abdulhadi Lahweej, Libya's undersecretary for expatriates, immigrants and refugee affairs, met with Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario during which he assured him of the safety of Filipinos in Libya.

About 14,000 Filipinos were evacuated from the country in March, shortly after the rebellion began in mid-February. Those who remain are mostly medical workers.

The United States and about a dozen other countries recognize the rebels as Libya's legitimate government. The Philippines is among nations that still recognize the longstanding regime of Moammar Gadhafi.

"We continue to recognize the Libyan government as manifested by the presence of our embassy in Tripoli, which continues to serve over 2,000 of our overseas Filipino workers who remain in Libya," del Rosario said.

About 10 percent of the Philippines' population of 94 million people work abroad. They send home billions of dollars that boost the economy, and the government holds their welfare as a top priority.

Lahweej told a news conference his government is taking care of Filipinos who have remained there "and we are now calling those who left to get back to Libya."

The front-lines of the fighting are miles beyond Libya's capital, but airstrikes rattle the city almost daily. The government alleges the airstrikes have caused many civilian deaths, but there is little evidence of it. Readily visible in Tripoli, however, are the effects of the foreign workers' exodus: uncollected trash, shuttered businesses and abandoned construction projects.

Lahweej said he is visiting various countries to explain the "true story of the Libyan rebellion."

At a news conference, he showed gruesome videos of alleged atrocities by rebels he referred to as Islamic extremists who are using al-Qaida methods. "It's a rebellion, an armed rebellion by criminal groups," he added.

Lahweej criticized NATO for the airstrikes and said Western governments that support the rebels are motivated by their desire for Libya's oil resources.

The statements echo Gadhafi's own descriptions of the rebels and their international supporters. Despite the claim, there is little sign of Islamic extremists among the rebel ranks, which include many soldiers and officers who defected from Gadhafi's military.

Hernandez said Lahweej assured the Philippines that Gadhafi's government will facilitate Filipino workers' remittances home.

He also briefed del Rosario on the current situation in Libya, and del Rosario expressed hopes the situation will be resolved peacefully, Hernandez said.

 

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