Virgin Media launches 'V Stuff' with free photo offer

09 Apr 2009 | 10.32 Europe/London

Virgin Media has launched its ‘V Stuff’ suite of broadband subscriber features with the announcement of a new, inclusive back up service which allows customers to set up online photo albums and order up to 100 prints per month for free.

Rival back up services normally start with a free low entry level of 5Gb total storage (BT), or just 1Gb (Sky), which are designed to encourage subscribers to pay up to an extra £5 per month to boost their storage space to around 40Gb or 50Gb.

Virgin Media has taken a different approach providing inclusive storage of 5Gb for its L customers, 10Gb for XL and unlimited storage for XXL subscribers on its new up to 50Mb service.

Whilst most back up facilities allow customers to set up photo albums, which can be shared with friends and family, Virgin Media obviously believes there is a niche in the market to actually include an allowance of photo prints from an album.

Hence, L customers are to receive 25 prints per month, X 50 prints and XXL a rather generous 100 prints per month. These are monthly allowances which cannot be rolled over and post and packaging is free for the first three orders. The offer is currently scheduled to last for one year and Virgin Media has not elaborated on whether it is likely the scheme will be continued.

Those not on the XXL package can upgrade to unlimited storage and 100 prints per month for £5 per month and Virgin Media customers not on the ISP's fibre network will get an allowance of 25 or 50 prints per month, depending on their tariff.

Jon James, Director of Broadband at Virgin Media sums up the move as the ISP realising “the internet is not just about speed” and that consumers need unique services such as inclusive photo storage and printing which he claims “go beyond our customers’ expectations”.

The new V Stuff service is clearly being used to show existing customers and prospects the possibilities of a fast connection and hence, it is widely believed, Virgin Media will soon be announcing a music subscription service within the new suite of features, following its first appointment of a Head of Music this week.