Photos: L Ericsson R Ericsson

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Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:00:00 UTC

Ever wanted to get as close as humanly possible to the drama of the high seas without getting doused in salt spray? Well the new-look Volvo Ocean Race mobile channel is the answer.

The mobile channel will deliver all the drama of the world’s toughest round the world yacht race as it happens direct to mobile handsets around the globe.

Together with Ericsson, the race’s official worldwide provider of the Volvo Ocean Race Mobile Channel, the mobile channel is where sport meets the technology of the future.

The mobile channel will be a vital component of the advanced electronic media package for the race across television, radio and Internet. During the 2005-06 race, the mobile channel delivered over 4 million pages to mobile phones around the world.

Building on the success of the mobile portal in the last event, Ericsson is taking the multimedia experience one step further. The project is based on the concept of 'never leave the race'.

"It's about creating a unique 'anywhere' portal," says Geoff Hollingworth, head of Ericsson's Volvo Ocean Race multimedia project. "Everybody has the existing TV, radio and computer channels. Now, we are merging those together with new opportunities provided by the multimedia channels of the future."

In 2008-09, the channel will carry a range of news and story updates, up-to-the-minute position reports, giving users regular access to the action on the race track. It will be enhanced by video and audio clips allowing the public to experience life on board as never before through their mobile handsets.

An innovation for the mobile menu in 2008-09 will be live coverage of in-port racing.

According to Andrew Ferguson, head of Technology and New Media for the Volvo Ocean Race, the mobile channel allows race followers to be part of the action anytime, anywhere.

“The new mobile channel will allow race fans to keep in touch with the race whenever and wherever they want,” Ferguson said. “They will never miss a position report or the latest news, as it will always be available on their mobile phone. With Ericsson’s expertise we are able to bring a new dimension to their online experience.

“We are also excited about the live in-port race coverage on the mobile channel. This really will be at the cutting edge of the next generation of television when video of the in-port races will be delivered live to mobile handsets.”

Ericsson will oversee the distribution agreements with network providers through its global network of companies. The mobile service will be available on all handsets irrespective of manufacturer, just prior to the start of the race.

The immediacy of the information will be quite different in this edition of the Volvo Ocean Race. The race website, www.VolvoOceanRace.org, will have all of the latest news, features, interviews and photographs from offshore. A dedicated web television channel, www.VolvoOceanRace.tv, will show highlights of the on-board video footage along with news stories and unique feature material.

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