HP Launches Digital Music Initiative
By asia.internet.com staff
November 8, 2001 / News Archives
HP has moved into the digital music arena with today's launch of its pilot HP music site in Singapore, an initiative that promises to add a new facet to the company's existing digital entertainment and imaging solution offerings in the region.
According to company officials, the HP music site is "a fully legal and commercial site supported and endorsed" by 40 major record companies, including industry giants Warner, EMI, and BMG.
"With increasing home PC ownership and Internet penetration, we are likely to see more consumers in Asia Pacific demanding digital solutions for their entertainment, imaging and information needs," said V. Narayanan, strategic solutions manager for HP's Consumer Business Organization in Asia Pacific.
The music site, HP's first in the region, is powered by Singapore-based Soundbuzz, a digital music service provider with a network of sites in India, Australia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Southeast Asian countries, promoting and distributing digital music products through online, wireless and OEM partners.
Soundbuzz's technology platform on the HP music site will offer users a central destination to sample and purchase a range of international and local music, as well as obtain music news, read about featured artists, download lyrics and view photos.
Said Sudhanshu Sarronwala, Soundbuzz's chief executive officer, "Soundbuzz is spearheading the creation and aggregation of the necessary rights for the development and application of digital music products through consumer electronic items like PCs, printers, pocket PCs and CD-writers. As such, it is fitting that our first deal across these platforms is with the largest consumer IT player in the Asia Pacific market, Hewlett-Packard."
HP officials added that the site will make available music from 10 countries, enabling music enthusiasts to conveniently listen to them with the use of HP's exclusive Digital Music software - consumers can include this as an icon on their desktop and access the site to play music on their desktops, burn CDs or obtain more information about HP products.
Indeed, the site will present opportunities for the IT vendor to effectively link its stable of products and services to its new venture. Users at the HP music site will be able to:
* Print lyrics and photos of artistes using HP Deskjet printers, as well as HP ink and paper supplies
* Create customized CD album covers by scanning images with HP Scanjet scanners and merging them with artiste photos using the bundled software
* Listen to downloaded music using HP Pavilion PCs or Jornada Pocket PCs (MP3)
* Burn new CD-Rs with HP CD-writers
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