• Personalized online radio service provider Pandora Media and Alltel Wireless launched a marketing campaign asking Pandora users in specific Alltel Wireless markets to submit their favorite hometown bands on Pandora's Website. On the homepage, an Alltel Wireless ad asks its customers and consumers nationwide to join a collaborative effort to create Alltel Wireless branded, local music stations across the country to promote distinct, regional music styles and the local artists who play them. Users can then share their personal stations, songs or favorite musical groups with others. During the year-long campaign, Alltel Wireless will be the exclusive advertiser registered users in these geo-targets see, hear and connect with on the Pandora homepage. In phase one, consumers will have the opportunity to submit their local bands for inclusion in Alltel Wireless' regional music stations. In phase two, Alltel Wireless and Pandora will curate the submissions to create the local Alltel Wireless branded stations. In phase three, the local stations will go live and users can continue to support them by suggesting additional local talent, thus refining the unique flavor and style of each station.
• Virgin Mobile USA is offering the new Flare handset from LG. Flare's external LCD screen lights up for incoming calls and then fades to black, complementing its black exterior accented by metallic trim. Priced at $29.99, Flare will show up at retail locations this month, and is available for purchase on the Virgin Mobile USA Website. Other Flare features include Bluetooth, voice-activated dialing, Web browsing, preloaded games and special features for Spanish language users.
• Opera and Helio deployed Opera Mini on a mobile service provider in the United States. Helio members can now surf the Web with Opera Mini on their Ocean device with a special version of the browser designed specifically for the handset. Opera Mini is available as a downloadable application from Helio’s Web portal.
• MediaFLO USA added to its senior management team: Jonathan Barzilay has joined MediaFLO USA as senior vice president of programming and advertising, and Matt Milne has joined as senior vice president of sales and marketing. Jonathan Barzilay brings more than 20 years of industry experience to MediaFLO USA, where he will be responsible for managing programming for FLO TV, as well as acquiring new content and developing original programming. Additionally, Barzilay will develop new programming models for the mobile media space and manage relationships with key strategic content partners.
• Mal Gurian Associates announced that Robert Norville has joined the wireless consulting company. Norville began in the wireless industry when he was recruited by Bell Atlantic Mobile Systems (BAMS). There, he was responsible for the development and implementation of network performance assessment metrics that laid the foundation of Verizon’s reputation for providing a high quality network. More recently, Norville was consulting in the wireless industry offering his Program Management, System Performance and Network Engineering skills and knowledge.