MUMBAI: SDC (Secure Digital Container), the leading, fully label-approved provider of technology for Digital Rights Management (DRM), today announces its vision and new product strategy for the mobile music market in 2007.

SDC’s next-generation mobile DRM technology is supported on over 100 mobile devices and is able to simplify the user experience and reduce cost and complexity for carriers by using one unique application and one DRM system for all music and video related services.

New SDC products scheduled for launch in early 2007 include updated Mobile Players and its new PC Player Version 2.0 for various carriers around the world.

With music-enabled handsets currently outshipping iPods at a ratio of two-to-one*, SDC predicts that pay-per-download, over-the-air, full-track music and video mobile services will soon be deployed throughout all major markets worldwide, while subscription-based “all you can eat” services will grow in popularity with both carriers and consumers. The integration of existing WAP services into player applications will continue to create an easy browsing and purchasing experience for consumers.

A vital element of such services will be a mobile media solution that can consolidate a number of functions – music and video player, web browser, download manager, search and recommendation functionalities, radio player and device content management – into a single, carrier-branded application, while also offering the ability to seamlessly sideload content to PCs and other devices.

This solution is able to simplify usage of different types of rich-media content such as music and video for consumers by integrating all services into a single user interface. It is also able to reduce cost and complexity for carriers by using one unique application and one DRM system for all music and video related services, and is a vital tool in helping carriers achieve significant uplift in ARPU from next generation data services.

SDC has already rolled-out an integrated service with Telus Mobility in Canada by integrating Shazam Entertainment’s music recognition application into SDC’s Java Music Player. SDC developed players combining both pay-per-download and subscription services for Telus and French operator SFR in 2006.

SDC’s new PC Player Version 2.0, due for launch in the first quarter of next year, will offer carriers a highly-customisable, white label player and single DRM technology for both PCs and mobile devices that will be compatible with all common mobile operating systems (Brew, Java, Symbian and Windows) and codec formats (AAC/AAC+, MP3, MPEG4 and WMA).

“2007 is set to be a high-growth year for the mobile music industry, as more and more consumers choose to download music to their phones, rather than traditional media players,” says Michael Bornhäusser, CEO, SDC. “In order to maintain ease-of-use for consumers it is vital that carriers use a single application and user interface for all entertainment services and content. Only SDC is truly able to deliver this today.“

SDC’s unique mobile DRM solution, which enables secure video, full length music and other rich media content distribution across wireless devices and PCs, has been adopted and deployed by an unprecedented 16 major carriers worldwide to date.

Current customers include T-Mobile (Germany, UK and Czech Republic), O2 (UK & Ireland), 3 (UK), SFR (France), Amena (Spain), TELUS (Canada), Telstra (Australia) and Hutch (India).

SDC also has partnerships with all of the world’s major handset manufacturers, including Nokia, Motorola, HTC, Sony Ericsson and Samsung.