Ericsson and Napster have signed an agreement with Entel PCS, a leading Chilean mobile operator, in order to launch the first Napster Mobile service in Latin America.

Following the agreement, Ericsson will have complete responsibility for management of the day-to-day operations, systems integration and development of the service (which includes Napster's catalog of over three million songs). Furthermore, the agreement offers content and digital rights management to the Swedish company, allowing an easy and cost-efficient service launching.

Leveraging on Ericsson's service delivery platform, Napster Mobile will enable Entel PCS's customers to search, browse, listen and purchase music via i-shop, the mobile portal of Entel, directly on their phones. The service provides a dual-delivery option, allowing users to simultaneously download content both to handsets and to PCs.

"This deal will enable access to a range of attractive services for end users and open up new revenue streams for Entel PCS," said Gino Montalto, Head of Ericsson Chile. "Our hosted solution allows the operator to remain focused on their core business while launching new services quickly and cost effectively."

"We are excited to add Latin America to our global footprint, which also includes the North American, Japanese and European markets," says Brad Duea, President of Napster. "Through our partnership with Ericsson, we look forward to offering a superior mobile music experience to Entel PCS customers."

Carlos Rodríguez, Product and Services Manager for Entel PCS, declared: "Once again, we are the first mobile operator in Latin America to launch a world-class service. This time it is Napster Mobile, an Ericsson multimedia solution that will help us meet our customers' growing demand for premium and personalized mobile content."

Subsidiary of Entel group, Entel PCS currently has more than 5.5 million mobile subscribers and is the first operator to introduce GSM and GPRS services in Latin America.