Bluegrass Cellular, a wireless company serving central Kentucky, and Interop (News - Alert) Technologies, a provider of advanced wireless technology solutions, have entered into a partnership. Bluegrass has agreed to buy Interop’s Karaoke Tones solution. Bluegrass plans to offer the Karaoke Tones service to customers across its entire coverage area, including 38 Kentucky counties, as part of its new BlueWorks Wireless Network.

Karaoke Tones is designed to help wireless operators generate new revenue streams and retain customers. The solution includes a custom-branded Web user interface and licensed content library with full Digital Rights Management (DRM). Food maker Hershey Company was the first major enterprise to use Karaoke Tones--for a promotional campaign directed to the youth demographic.

Karaoke Tones allows customers to use their own handsets and voices to create personalized, user-generated content. Customers do so with via a Web-based recording process using lyrics, voice prompts, and music to record their own ringtones or ringback tones. These personalized recordings can then be sent to customers’ own mobile phones. They can also send it to friends, family and online communities as well.

According to a report in Business Wire,

“The innovative Karaoke Tones solution offers a self-expression application to our customers that is not available from other operators,” said Barry Nothstine, director of marketing and product development at Bluegrass Cellular, in a statement. “We expect it will help increase differentiation and brand loyalty and create a new source of revenue.”