MTC-Vodafone (Bahrain) strengthens ties with Bahrain Radio and TV Corporation (BRTC)

The two organisations have joined forces to develop and deliver value added services for their customers.

SMS2TV and SMS2Radio services allow Bahrain Radio and TV Corporation to develop an interactive relationship with their audience by allowing them to send messages from their mobile phones to be aired on the Radio station or scrolled out on television. SMS are sent by viewers to share their views, make comments and to vote on certain subject matters or competitions and participate in social and political talk shows. The messages are received by a computer in the studio and are scanned for suitability before being shared with the audience. SMS2TV offer MTC-Vodafone (Bahrain)'s customers the opportunity to participate in live chat with other viewers using their mobile phones. A window is superimposed on the programme on air and enables MTC-Vodafone (Bahrain)'s customers to enjoy chatting with their friends, family and loved ones while watching their favorite TV programs.

"Our goal is to offer the best mobile content through our wide range of features and value-added services. Almost every person carries a mobile phone nowadays. People are tuning in to TV more than any other time and we think that SMS2TV is a great tool to interact with other family members, friends and other people", commented Mahmoud Hashish, Chief Commercial Officer at MTC-Vodafone (Bahrain).

"The idea is to combine media to provide the customers and viewers with a richer experience," said Maria Khoury, Marketing Director at Bahrain Radio and TV Corporation (BRTC). "We are happy to strengthen our relationship with such a young and innovative company. We had a very successful experience with MTC-Vodafone (Bahrain) with the launch of the ME's first LiveTV2Mobile and now we are partners again to offer the consumer the best in value-added infotainment services."

MTC-Vodafone's aim is to redefine the wireless future to further open up the endless services available to customers via their mobile phone, Hashish explained: "For the mobile industry, Infotainment services offer an immediate opportunity, and brings with it a very broad demographic reach. From simple text messages through to sophisticated interactive video and image content."

"One of the major factors that boosted the infotainment sector was the success of live interaction during the GCC Cup tournament, where ONLY MTC-Vodafone (Bahrain)'s customers were able to participate in competitions on TV and Radio via SMS", he concluded.

MTC-Vodafone (Bahrain) offers these infotainment services as part of its innovative "World of WoW", the kingdom's first mobile entertainment services. Using the World of WoW services, MTC-Vodafone (Bahrain)'s customers can choose between a wide range of live entertaining programs and services with local TV and Radio stations and regional TV channels.

Using the World of WoW services, MTC-Vodafone (Bahrain)'s customers can also tap into a rich variety of content including pictures, games, news and information, ring tones, jokes and cinema movie timings, and services such as Chat, Internet access and e-mail. A download zone dedicated to our customers has been designed to enable them to easily browse and choose the content they desire. Access to content can also be triggered via the special MTC-Vodafone (Bahrain) menu available on customers' handsets.'