Ericsson and Napster cosy up to offer mobile music

Swedish telecommunications company Ericsson and Napster are to team up to offer a new digital music service aimed at mobile phone customers around the world.

The two companies said they would combine elements of both companies' technologies and digital music catalogue to create a new product, offering iTunes-like song downloads and a monthly subscription plan. They will offer it to wireless carriers around the world over the next year, they said.

Ericsson CEO Carl-Henric Svanberg described Napster as "the strongest digital music brand in the world", and said: "With Napster we are uniquely positioned to deliver the easy to use, complete suite of music offerings our customers are asking for."

The announcement could add fuel to a fast-growing mobile music sector, driven by high-speed network advances in Europe and Asia.

A growing number of operators are already offering their own digital music services, using start-ups such as Musiwave or Melodeo to power the stores. In Korea, the biggest mobile phone operator recently purchased a controlling stake in the country's biggest record label, in order to speed mobile music services.

Napster has made moves into the mobile space before, offering limited access to its service through some US phone networks, and opening a ringtone download store.

The new joint venture will have to convince mobile phone operators that its mix of integration between handsets and online services is superior to rivals before reaching customers. However, Ericsson's long-established relationships with carriers could help Napster gain ground in what is new territory for a primarily PC-focused company.

John Borland writes for CNET News.com