As I look back on where Rhapsody has come from and where it’s going, one thing is abundantly clear: our partnerships have been essential to our success and will continue to play a large role in the execution of our strategy to be within arm’s reach of our customers.
Over the years, we have worked with partners to bring the Rhapsody service everywhere our customers are, whether it’s on MP3 players, mobile devices, connected stereo systems, e-readers or gaming consoles. Moving forward, partnerships will be instrumental to our innovation as we bring brand-new products and services to the market.
In fact, we have organized our company around building partnerships and creating new business opportunities. At the helm is our GM Brendan Benzing, who has assembled a formidable team of executive and senior-level staff to build partner relationships and opportunities. You’ve recently seen the fruits of their efforts, with high-profile wins such as the metroPCS bundle, integrated billing with AT&T, Xbox launch and Smart TV integrations; but the coming months will bring more platforms that will deliver on-demand music to a broader audience who will experience a music service as they never have before.
These are exciting times for Rhapsody, as more and more consumers embrace the subscription model and more partners consider how music can be used as a strategic advantage. So, expect to hear more from us as we sharpen our focus on our partners and pursue our path of innovation.
Sincerely,
Jon
* *Jon Irwin, president , Rhapsody International