Virgin Mobile Launches New SMS and WAP Services on the InfoSpace Platform
LONDON & BELLEVUE, Wash., Oct 2, 2001 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- InfoSpace, Inc. (Nasdaq:INSP) and Virgin Mobile today announced that Virgin Mobile has launched a broad new range of SMS and WAP-based wireless Internet services built on the InfoSpace platform under Virgin Mobile's existing brand of VirginXtras value-added services.
The launch enables Virgin Mobile to further differentiate itself in the market by offering its subscribers a broader range of services and new levels of personalization that bring them closer to the information and services most useful to them while on the move. In addition, InfoSpace is actively developing further new services on its technology platform, which it expects will be launched by Virgin Mobile over the coming weeks.
InfoSpace is a leading provider of the platform and applications that enable partners to deliver consumer and commerce services across the Internet to any device over current and next-generation networks and Virgin Mobile, a 50:50 joint venture between Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group and One2One, is the UK's first, and most successful Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), and the UK's fifth largest network.
In February of this year, Virgin Mobile first deployed its mobile data service built on InfoSpace's wireless technology platform and suite of services to promote the Virgin Group's global expertise in the fields of entertainment, leisure and travel. Since then, Virgin's offering has rapidly grown to become one of the leading mobile Internet services in the UK. According to a recent article in Mobile Choice magazine, the VirginXtras SMS service was deemed to have the strongest offering, particularly for sports services, of all those offered by UK mobile operators.
All of the services are customizable, enabling Virgin Mobile's users to receive personalized local data, based on their preferences and profiles. In addition, the integration of InfoSpace's communication services suite allows Virgin Mobile's customers to send and receive email messages, and to access personal information from an electronic address book, calendar and to-do list.
Nick White, head of VirginXtras at Virgin Mobile, said, "The additional VirginXtras services means that Virgin Mobile now has the most exciting and comprehensive suite of services of any operator in the UK -- and there are more coming soon!"
Jan Claussen, executive vice president of wireless for InfoSpace said, "InfoSpace can provide its services over any standard to any device. We are therefore ideally placed to partner with mobile network operators in the delivery of mobile Internet services. They can outsource the entire development to us, at a fraction of what it would otherwise cost. We believe that we can bring them to market more quickly and more cheaply than would otherwise be possible. InfoSpace is committed to continuing to work with Virgin Mobile to leverage our wireless platform and services in exciting new ways. We are confidant that these new services help to drive subscriber uptake and usage and further differentiate Virgin's offering in the market." |
