YouTube expanded its presence in mobile video Monday in deals with Vodafone and Nokia.
Already the leading company in the collection of Internet video, YouTube, purchased by Google last year, seems intent on getting a foothold in the mobile market. To keep ahead, it is introducing a YouTube mobile Website and is making deals to provide content to mobile operators.
YouTube said in a statement that it is entering into an agreement with Vodafone to offer their subscribers a “YouTube experience on their mobile phones.”
Vodafone customers--initially only in the UK but now throughout Europe--who subscribe to Vodafone Live! will be able to access a curated version of the popular video site with a daily selection of new videos.
The mobile site will offer many of the features users have grown accustomed to, such as searching for and forwarding videos. All mobile users have been able to directly upload video to YouTube since May 2006.
YouTube mobile will not be limited to Vodafone mobile phones. Cellphone-giant Nokia Monday unveiled new software for its Nokia Nseries of mobile phones. Its new Nokia Web Browser with Mini Map allows users to subscribe to YouTube RSS feeds directly. The browser will also be able to display YouTube videos online using the AVC video format once YouTube launches its new mobile site.
YouTube’s expansion into the mobile arena comes as it is increasingly under fire for not protecting the intellectual property of other companies. Two weeks ago, Viacom publicly demanded that the site pull down 100,000 clips which it claimed were in violation of its copyrights.
