BEIJING, May 13 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Youku, China's leading Internet video site, unveiled its mobile strategy for China's 3G network rollout, and announced the public beta launch of a new mobile video platform. The mobile portal, http://3g.youku.com/ , will be online on May 17th for the World Telecommunication Day 2009.
To pursue the opportunities opened up by China's new 3G networks, Youku will cooperate with three types of partners:
1) Mobile video content licensees: Youku has established a partnership
with Shanghai Media Group's Dragon New Media, with which Youku will
build a mobile video syndication platform for traditional media
content. Youku has also established strategic cooperation with China
Radio International and China National Radio, both mobile video content
licensees.
2) Mobile carriers: For provincial and municipal mobile carriers,
creating and operating proprietary video platforms would represent a
major investment of manpower and capital. Youku will be the on-demand
mobile video solution provider for mobile carriers. The interactive 3G
website built by Beijing Telecom and Youku, for example, will be online
on May 17th.
3) Mobile handset makers: Youku has created a number of built-in
applications for mobile phones, which have been studied with great
interest within the industry. Youku will make mobile client apps for
local and international mobile phone makers in the future.
"If you look at various third party surveys, video on demand is consistently the most widely anticipated of 3G mobile apps. At the end of the day, 3G is just wireless broadband, and just as the biggest app on the PC-based Internet has been video, we fully expect a similar development trend with mobile. It might take a little bit longer to happen, but it's going to happen," said Victor Koo, founder and CEO of Youku.
With the new mobile video portal, Youku formally enters the domain of wireless Internet. On the front page of 3g.youku.com , users will find editors' recommendations for the latest long-form, professionally-produced content as well as shorter user-generated video. The front page will also offer easy navigation to five video channels, including current topics, user-generated content, music, sports, and humor. The mobile portal's browsing and watching experiences have been optimized for China's mobile phone users.
"Mobile Internet video will be ideal for people commuting to work-especially on public transportation -- or who want to amuse themselves while they're waiting. That could mean anything from a 10-minute video snack to an hour-long meal," said Victor Koo. "2006 was the year that PC-based Internet video really gained traction in China, and we believe 2010 will be the year that mobile Internet video will take off here."
About Youku
Youku (http://www.youku.com ) is China's leading Internet video website and premier online video brand. It is the top destination for Chinese Internet users around the globe to watch and share videos. In addition to
user-generated content, Youku.com also works with more than 1,000 professional media partners to distribute online videos in China. Youku.com was officially launched in December 2006, and now delivers more than
160 million video clips a day. Youku's users spend more than 40 billion minutes per month on the website.
For more information, please contact:
Steven Lin
Manager of International Public Relations
Youku.com
Tel: +86-10-5885-1881 x7128
Email: steven@youku.com
