A new entrant into the Nigerian telecoms market, Solo Phone, unveils new partnerships in the entertainment and culture sector, AKEEM LASISI reports
A major treat seems to have come the way of entertainment freaks as recently-inaugurated Solo Phone has unveiled a new brand that flaunts as many as 20 million songs. As novel as this sounds, the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Tayo Ogundipe, says it is just a pointer to what the industry will witness in the nearest future.
Apart from the fact that the songs on the Solo S450 brand are downloadable free, it also offers users an opportunity to rent films for two weeks, with Ogundipe saying this is done through a prepaid card system.
“We decided that beyond music, we should be able to do more in the entertainment arena. We observed that there is no shortage of people making or wanting to make movies. But distribution is critical. We thus configured the software through which films, local and foreign, can be rented for a maximum of two weeks.”
Ogundipe adds that Solo, which also appointed hip hop act as its ambassador last year, is collaborating with Irokotv on the project.
In a related sense, the company has integrated various Lagos landmarks and other African icons into the phone’s wallpaper.
“We are doing this because Solo is made for Nigeria. We are an emerging market. We are customer-centric. This is home, and it is all about passion,’ the Ibadan, Oyo State-born co-founder of Solo Phone notes..
A statement from the company also indicates that the S450 provides what it calls an unparalleled entertainment experience in the Nigerian smartphone industry.
“The S450 brings to consumers the unique Solo experience through the Solo Music and Solo View apps exclusive to the platform. Solo Music has a vast library of music updated every week; from afrobeat to gospel, Miley Cyrus to Shina Peters, Solo Phone devices give users unlimited and free access to music from around the world.
“With a rapidly growing movie/TV show content library in Nigeria, Solo View has over 1000 hours of the latest local and international movies and TV shows, and with the innovative Solo HotSpot solution, users need only spend two to three minutes at a HotSpot location to download movies to their devices. Downloaded movies remain on the device for two weeks,” it adds.
Ogundipe, who has been living and working abroad since 1995, working with the likes of Ernst & Youngs and Sony Ericsson, adds that he and his team believe that the telephony business has moved beyond the hardware it provides. According to him, it is the quality of experience that Solo offers that matters most to them.
He says, “With the S450, Solo is bringing a whole new dimension to the way people can consume entertainment in Nigeria. We are bringing a totally new dimension to on-the-go entertainment with an experience like no other.”
The organisation’s co-founder, Dolapo Ajayi, also notes that the telecoms market in the country is expanding at a fast rate, but the indigenous passion and energy, as well as global technical know-how, will make a lot of difference for Solo.
He adds, “The power of indigenous brand is great. Whoever can figure what people need will go a long way. The awareness of the local market and the dynamics of the big ones will help to grow the business.
“Nigeria’s rapidly expanding mobile phone industry provides a unique opportunity, and the Solo platform provides a unique proposition well-suited to the market. We are in partnership with some of the biggest telecommunications companies to ensure that users continue to get the great experience with free data for streaming content to their devices,” Ajayi explains.
Copyright PUNCH.
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: editor@punchng.com