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A partnership between publisher Random House and Vocel, a mobile application start-up based in San Diego, is designed to deliver language lessons and video game guides to mobile phone subscribers.
The agreement, announced today, gives Random House a minority interest in Vocel. Vocel gains the right to use Random House's Living Language and Prima Game brands and content.
"This gives us the ability to rapidly expand the markets that we're able to address and to increase the breadth that we can bring to market," Vocel CEO Carl Washburn told TechNewsWorld.
Off the Page
Random House will get two representatives on Vocel's board, but will not be involved in day-to-day operations. The publisher saw the deal as a way to expand beyond printed offerings.
"When Random House saw that we were able to take what was thought of as straight book content and repurpose it, that was very interesting to them," Washburn said. "They thought of themselves as a straight publisher."
Vocel already licenses Princeton Review test preparation materials, which are available on six phone models through Verizon. Princeton Review is owned by Random House.
The SAT drills are delivered to cell phones, where students can answer the questions and see their scores. The results can be saved to a Web site, so that the students or their parents can track progress.
The Random House deal will allow Vocel to expand to mobile service providers beyond Verizon as well as to add content, Washburn said.
Vocabulary by Phone
The Living Language application delivers words, phrases and sentences for study. Most of the content is in text form, but the program also offers the correct pronunciation. Washburn said ESL (English as a second language) and Spanish lessons will be the first offered.
Prima Games is the publisher of video game guides. The mobile content will include game strategy, hints and cheat codes.
The content is expected to be available this summer.
Washburn said the deal, for which terms were not disclosed, will also allow Vocel to license Princeton Review content for tests such as the GMAT, GRE and LSAT.
Verizon sells subscriptions to Vocel's service for $5.75 a month through its
online catalog, which is accessible through its phones.
