Motorola to acquire Soundbuzz

8 January 2008

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Singapore – Mobile handset manufacturer Motorola will acquire Soundbuzz Pte Ltd, a pan-Asian music provider, to enhance its music delivery capabilities in Asia. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The deal, subject to customary conditions, is expected to close in Q1 2008.

Motorola, through its MOTOMUSIC service, has delivered mobile music to consumers for over two years through its carrier customers in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The acquisition of Soundbuzz will allow Motorola to expand MOTOMUSIC beyond China into India, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Currently, some 90% of Motorola’s digital music content in Asia is being sold via mobile channels and that is expected to remain in the coming years.

Soundbuzz’s multi-region music delivery platform enables purchase and distribution of digital content via over-the-air and wired broadband connections. Its system includes subscriber management, content management, payment, client software and media delivery technologies. Maintaining the Soundbuzz consumer-facing brand, it will continue to provide “white-label” services to carrier customers that offer tailored solutions for multimedia delivery.

Bill Werner, SVP, Future Solutions and Technology for Mobile Devices, Motorola said, “(The acquisition) will provide Motorola with one of the most extensive music libraries in the Asia Pacific region, advance our music and video offerings in Australia and South East Asia, and build on the success of our MOTOMUSIC services in China.”

Soundbuzz has access to music libraries in Asia-Pacific through licenses from Sony BMG, EMI, Warner Music International and Universal Music Group, as well as over 45 independent record labels in Asia, US and Europe. Motorola will maintain Soundbuzz’s Singapore headquarters to be a component of Motorola’s digital music development strategy in Asia.