Vodafone UK, in partnership with digital book service provider GoSpoken.com, has become the first operator to commit to books as a significant part of its content offering with the launch of a Vodafone-branded mobile bookstore.
Vodafone and GoSpoken have sold books to Vodafone customers for more than a year, but are now offering an enhanced end-to-end user experience to buy and read bestselling titles on mobile handsets. GoSpoken also recently created a bespoke book application for Vodafone 360s social platform which is currently available across seven countries.
Mobile books constitute a new growth opportunity and are an exciting addition to the range of content already on Vodafone Live! says Tom McLennan, Head of Music at Vodafone UK.
GoSpoken will be launching similar projects with T-Mobile and Orange by the end of the month. The launch follows GoSpokens recent investment from Japanese mobile book giant, For-Side.com Co. GoSpoken will be expanding across European and American markets in 2010.
With the convenience of on-bill payment, the service will offer thousands of titles to download directly onto mobile handsets. These include bestsellers like the Twilight saga by Stephanie Meyer, thrillers from James Patterson and Patricia Cornwell and classics like Sherlock Holmes. Audio books will be available from the superstore shortly, beginning with the award-winning Pimsleur language learning books. By the end of January, over 10,000 eBooks will be available to the majority of handsets connected with Vodafone UK, and eventually the whole Vodafone user base.