Amobee Launches Mobile Advertising Trial with Orange in France

LONDON & SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Amobee Media Systems today announced that it has launched a commercial mobile advertising trial with Orange in France – the first such trial to take place in France.

Orange France is using Amobee’s Media System to test the business model behind using advertising to help fund mobile content and entertainment services. Subscribers are offered the option of downloading a game from leading games publisher FILAO at a reduced price or for free, if they accept advertising within the game.

A number of leading consumer brands are taking part, including Coke, Saab, Travelski, Société Générale and Mobifun. The ads are served interstitially during idle time in between levels or while the game is loading.

For a period of two months, users will have the option to request further details on each brand, either by initiating a call by opening a WAP session, or can click past the ads and continue with the game at any point. FILAO, the publisher selected to provide the games content for this trial, has integrated Amobee’s HAPI (Handset Application Programming Interface) into its games. The HAPI is a small SDK file that enables the games to receive ads.

“The mobile industry is willing to test the role that ad-funding could play in growing the mobile entertainment market,” said Patrick Parodi, CMO of Amobee. ”Similar trials in other territories have shown high levels of user acceptance – provided that the model is opt-in and controlled by the user. We are confident that this trial will further demonstrate a willingness among mobile customers to accept advertising in exchange for discounts or additional value.”

Francois Clemenceau, Head of Sales and Business Development, FILAO, said: ‘‘The best price point for mobile games is an incredibly hot topic and the entire industry is looking for ways to increase the number of mobile users who download games. FILAO is extremely pleased to have been selected by Orange to integrate Amobee’s Media System into its games. This trial, which enables sponsored/subsidized versions of games, will generate valuable figures that will open the door to new revenue sources as well as business models for the distribution of mobile content. It will also offer a solution to price-sensitive users.”

Andréa Fougerousse, CRM and Internet Manager, Saab, said: “Mobile offers a unique combination of persistent use, mobility, targeting and interactivity. Saab have a lot to learn about how to get the best from this new channel, and we are excited to be involved with Orange and Amobee at such an early stage."

Jérôme Le Feuvre, Head of Mobile Games & Music at Orange France, said: “The objectives for Orange France are to understand how mobile users will respond to in-game advertising, and to engage with advertisers and agencies to better understand their expectations. The trial should enable us to gather live usage data about the impact and acceptance of advertising within a mobile game, and test the potential of new business models around mobile content.”

Amobee is the first company to deliver a user-centric approach to ad-fund the operators’ entire mobile content and communication business (including Browsing, Video & Music, SMS, MMS and Games). The advertising is presented in a relevant, contextual, targeted, personalized and user friendly manner. It places the mobile user at the centre of the experience and engages operators, content developers and agencies in the creation of new advertising “value streams.”

About Amobee Media Systems:

Amobee Media Systems has built and designed the first and only telco-grade ad-serving solution 100% dedicated to mobile operators, allowing them to ad-fund all non-voice related applications and services: WAP Browsing, Video & Music, SMS, MMS, and Games. This “opt-in” system puts the user in control and at the centre of the mobile consumption experience and is capable of increasing usage of mobile data applications while giving them the ability to consume more for less. Advertising impressions occur with full user consent and are inserted in a relevant, contextual, targeted and non-intrusive manner.

Amobee has raised capital from Sequoia Capital (www.sequoiacap.com), Accel Partners (www.accel.com) and Globespan Capital Partners (www.globespancapital.com). Amobee headquarters is in San Francisco, with commercial offices in London and San Francisco and R&D in Herzliya, Israel.

For all Amobee Press and Analyst inquiries, please contact:

Pamela Njissang, 415.397.7600, pnjissang@stearnsjohnson.com, or

Joshua Steinfeld, 339.225.1581, jsteinfeld@stearnsjohnson.com