Mercora today announced the worldwide launch of Mercora M v2, a social music player and mobile radio service for 3G-enabled mobile devices. Mercora also announced an agreement with Microsoft Windows MobileR to provide users with a 6-month complimentary subscription to the M v2 service.

“Mobile convergence is a reality ‚Äì the mobile phone is rapidly becoming the MP3 player, radio and media consumption device of choice,” said Srivats Sampath, president and CEO of Mercora. “The M v2 transforms the standard mobile phone into a social music and radio player with features more sophisticated than what‚Äôs available on current mobile offerings or, for that matter, Apple‚Äôs upcoming phone and music device.”

Key features:

• Personalized Digital Radio ‚Äì Over 100,000 high-fidelity music channels searchable by artist, genre, and subgenre, making the M v2 the largest radio service available on any mobile device.
• Streaming Music Player ‚Äì M v2 allows wireless users to browse and listen to music libraries stored on their PCs, or optionally on Mercora servers, requiring no side-loading or synchronization.
• Socially Networked Listening ‚Äì With the M v2, consumers can use their mobile devices to discover and listen to music, playlists, and listening histories from up to five of their friends and family, anywhere in the world.
• Support for Podcasts ‚Äì One-click access to constantly updated and popular podcasts from CNN, MLB, NCAA, NPR and other established news outlets provides M v2 users with continuous access to breaking news and information.

Mercora M v2 uses a high-performance version of the Ogg/Vorbis audio codec which is optimized for streaming over wireless broadband networks. The M v2 integrates with A2DP Stereo Bluetooth to provide a seamless transition from listening on-the-go, in-car and at home, which eliminates the need to carry multiple proprietary listening devices. Currently, the M v2 is compatible with Windows Mobile Smartphones and Pocket PCs, support for additional platforms is anticipated for later this year.