NeoMedia Technologies, Inc (NEOM)

[JPetroInc]

The Missing Link...


From SmartBiz: Virgin Bets on Device to Lure Shoppers
Sat Feb 7, 5:24 PM ET Add Entertainment - Reuters to My Yahoo!

By Sarah Han

NEW YORK (Billboard) - With consumers increasingly turning to the Internet to buy music, retailers are using creative strategies to bring them back to the physical shopping experience.

That was Virgin Entertainment Group's intent when, in December, it made the MusiKube personal music guide (PMG) available in its Virgin Megastore in San Francisco. New York-based MusiKube is planning to expand the device's availability in VEG's U.K. stores, as well as in other U.S. chains, VP of marketing Sunjay Guleria says.

The PMG is a portable handset that enables consumers to roam the store and sample 30-second clips of albums by scanning their bar codes. The wireless kiosk uses a customized Hewlett-Packard iPAQ and in-store Wi-Fi connectivity. There is no charge to customers using the device.

MusiKube personalizes the shopping experience by maintaining a database of users' musical preferences. The device offers recommendations based on the music the customer scans while browsing through the store.

"Instituting a personalized, mobile angle is what we're all about. We provide all the features of an online retailer -- in a store," MusiKube COO Mike Pears says. "So you have history, recommendation and ability to listen to everything. It's the new way for retailers to build a relationship with consumers."

The system remembers user activity and encompasses licensed samples of more than 2 million individual song tracks provided by Muze.

Muze, the database behind iTunes, carries 260,000 album titles, with 3,000 titles added every month. According to a Muze spokesperson, it obtains its data legally, directly from the labels. There is no charge for labels and artists to be added to the Muze database.

VEG is optimistic that the personalized shopping experience eventually will help boost sales. "It gives consumers a reason to visit the stores by making it a bit more interesting and exciting. That's what we need in retail today," says Dave Alder, VEG senior VP of product and marketing.

So has Virgin found sales success with this innovative device?
Although he declined to provide specific numbers, Alder says, "The general conversion figures have been positive."


Reuters/Billboard
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040207/music_nm/music_musikube_dc_1
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See the connection buddy?

Answer: JPetroInc: Virgin's PMG...


SmartBiz, where did you find that post? IMO, that post is gateway to all that is about to unfold. Virgin is actively working with HP. MuziKube is the O/S for VEG's PMG's. MuziKube is also the O/S behind I-Tunes.

Remember when Retired was pointing out the fact that there was an installer behind VEG's kiosk scanners which are in fact Hewlett-Packard iPAQ's, working on in-store Wi-Fi connectivity. He mentioned 3. One was Symbol and the other was Muze. I forget the third. He was talking about an indemnification between the O/S provider and Virgin. Well guess what, he hit it right on the head. The O/s is not Symbols, but rather Muze. So, its Muze's O/S working on Hewlett Packards IPAC handheld hardware. Muze has some clout with Virgin and as well as I-Tunes. This is just the tip of the iceberg my friend.

Virgin is an end-user of NEOM's technology. Muze is the O/S. NEOM can not sue Muze directly because they have no claim against them unless there is evidence that NEOM's patents were infringed upon. Hence, they sue Virgin because Virgin is deploying NEOM's technology in their stores. With Muze's O/S, HP is providing the hardware vehicle linking the real world to the internet. HP just maybe the variable in this equation that fits perfectly with the description of the still unannounced US Agent. Here we were postulating it could be Microsoft or Apple. Think about it, this has NEOM written all over it!

All the Best, JP