Overview
Get It Now is Verizon Wireless' implementation of Qualcomm's BREW technology, allowing a user to download and use applications on a Verizon Wireless Get It Now-enabled phone. It is a proprietary interface to download ringtones, music, games, applications, and use instant messaging on a phone. Users usually are unable to load content on the Verizon Wireless phones outside of Get It Now system; this is done for financial reasons. Verizon Wireless has exclusivity agreements with its Get It Now content providers (this is a walled garden system). Sometimes cell phone enthusiasts perform unsupported modifications to their phones or use 3rd-party software to make the phone accept non- Get It Now -originated content, or use free services that send ring tones through picture messaging, like Mobile17. In 2008 Verizon Wireless announced that their "Get It Now" service will be renamed "Media Center" on all their future phones beginning with the LG EnV2.
All applications through Get It Now/Media Center are BREW-based and the selection differs depending on what Verizon phone one is using.
Many first-time mobile phone users freely access the internet through internet-capable phones ("Mobile Web"), only to find that a sizable charge has been added to ther phone bill at month's end. Verizon currently charges $1.99 USD per megabyte (in 2009) downloaded into the phone from the internet. This is called "Megabyte Usage" or "Data Usage". Whenever anyone accesses the internet, the charge is incurred, because in order to access the web, web pages must be downloaded into the phone for viewing. New customers are often confused on what activities incur a charge and which activities do not. Visiting 50 web pages is a download of .3 MB. A visit to Media Center/Get It Now page incurs a charge, even if nothing is bought/downloaded. Music, games or ringtones downloads incurs the MB charge, but Picture/Video messaging (MMS) does not charge. Whenever data is being downloaded into the phone, a little phone icon with arrows going back and forth appears. Blocks can be set by account owner to block specific types of downloads. If a specific type of unlimited download is included in the customer's plan, then the customer is charged a flat fee per month instead of per MB.[1][2]
Within Get It Now, Verizon has implemented a GPS navigation application, VZ Navigator, that works for the most part like a standalone GPS unit. Users can also locate businesses within their vicinity, searching by category or business name. Users can type in addresses and receive turn by turn directions to their destination.
V CAST
Also within Get It Now/Media Center is V CAST, Verizon Wireless' high-speed audio, video on demand, and entertainment delivery system.
V CAST Mobile TV
Verizon Wireless uses Qualcomm's MediaFLO technology to broadcast live TV to certain phones, such as the LG Voyager. A VCAST mobile TV subscription is required.
V Cast Music with RHAPSODY
A subscription based service which allows access for $14.99 per month for unlimited song downloads to a person's computer using the VCAST with Rhapsody software. This program also allow the user to sync the music with up to three different media devices examples (mobile phones and mp3 players). The user has to authorize these devices through the VCast with Rhapsody software in order to sync the music. However if the consumer wants to move the music from a digital medium to a physical medium example (compact disc) the consumer will need to pay $.99 per song in order to move it to that physical medium.
Backup Assistant
Backup Assistant is a white label product that backs up the mobile address books of Verizon Wireless subscribers. The contacts are stored on My Verizon and can be edited and migrated to a new device if needed. Backup Assistant is free for Verizon Wireless customers. The technology for Backup Assistant is provided by FusionOne, Inc. In February 2010, Backup Assistant became free to all VZW subscribers.
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