m2.com
Tuesday, October 2, 2001 M2 Home
M2 PressWIRE
M2 PressWIRE is the world's third-largest electronic press release distribution service and the UK/Europe's largest.
M2 PressWIRE is changing ! We want your views on what you like, what you dislike and what you'd like to see more of. We would also like to hear your (publishable) comments on the service. Please write to di@m2.com with your comments !
M2 PressWIRE Home Page
Sign Up
The 5 latest stories from M2 PressWIRE:
CyberSource expands presence in UK with direct link to Barclaycard Merchant Services; Secure payment gateway allows businesses to take advantage of growing online transaction volumes
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NYK Lines and Mitsui O.S.K.Lines (MOL) sign up to bolero.net
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
High flyers bed and breakfast wins
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Xerox to transfer office manufacturing operations to Flextronics; Agreement includes sale of assets for approximately USD220 million
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Therapy4living.com launches independent complementary therapy directory
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Virgin Mobile launches new SMS and WAP services on the InfoSpace platform
LONDON -- Virgin Mobile has launched a broad new range of SMS and WAP-based wireless Internet services built on the InfoSpace platform under its 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 personalisation 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.
The 11 new services are built on InfoSpace's platform, which is comprised of user management, personalisation, and SMS-based alerts delivery applications. These include tennis results; superbikes news; Formula One news, results and tables; travel; music; sports; and special offers; and choice venues. Virgin Mobile has added the newly launched services to its award-winning suite of 26 VirginXtras - the broadest range of information services available on any UK network. Virgin Mobile users now have the ability, for example, to receive not only general music news alerts, but also alerts for their favourite types of music news, whether pop, classical or jazz. They can also receive news items specific to their favourite sports teams. Customers simply have to log onto Virgin Mobile's web site at www.virgin.com/mobile <http://www.virgin.com/mobile> and then personalise the service according to their needs, interests and lifestyle.
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.
The original offerings included 'Music Services,' such as music news, charts, event listings, and releases; 'Going Out' and 'Staying In' services, featuring movie news and guides, new releases, recommended event venues, and new video and DVD releases to buy; 'Sports Services,' featuring European football, rugby, cricket, and golf; 'Travel Services,' including last-minute travel deals; and, mobile horoscope and lottery offerings.
All of the services are customisable, enabling Virgin Mobile's users to receive personalised 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!"
Naveen Jain, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of InfoSpace, said: "InfoSpace can provide its services over any standard and 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 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 these new services help to drive subscriber uptake and usage and further differentiate Virgin's offering in the market."
About Virgin Mobile:
Virgin Mobile is now established as the most successful virtual network operator in the world, and is the UK's fifth network. Since its launch in November 1999 it has attracted well over one million customers, making it one of the fastest growing mobile phone companies in history.
Virgin Mobile is a 50:50 joint venture company between Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group and Deutsche Telekom's One 2 One, and is the UK's first mobile virtual operator.
It has scored a number of firsts, including being the first operator to scrap peak rate calls, introduce a daily discounting tariff and was the first company in the world to introduce an integrated MP3 mobile phone.
In the UK, Virgin Mobile phones are available direct on 0845 6000 600; on the web at www.virgin.com/mobile <http://www.virgin.com/mobile>; or on the High Street at over 4,500 outlets including Virgin Megastore, Our Price, V.SHOP, Sainsbury, Tesco, WH Smith, Iceland, Co-op, Asda, Somerfield, John Lewis, Littlewoods and Morrisons.
About InfoSpace, Inc.
InfoSpace, Inc. (NASDAQ: INSP) provides an integrated technology platform and suite of applications that enable partners to deliver consumer and commerce services across the Internet to any device over current and next-generation wireless, broadband and narrowband networks. The Company's array of products includes consumer services, such as communication, entertainment, gaming and voice applications, as well as commerce services, including payments, promotions and shopping. Together, the InfoSpace platform and applications comprise a highly flexible and scalable end-to-end solution that can be rapidly deployed under a partner's brand. InfoSpace's partners and affiliates include more than 3,200 Web sites and companies worldwide, including Verizon, AT&T Wireless, Cingular Wireless, Virgin Mobile, Intel, Lucent, Nortel, AOL, Microsoft, Lycos, National Discount Brokers and Bloomberg, among others.
This release contains forward-looking statements relating to the development of InfoSpace, Inc.'s products and services and future operating results, including statements regarding InfoSpace's agreement with Virgin Mobile, that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. The words "believe," "expect," "intend," "anticipate," variations of such words, and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, but their absence does not mean that the statement is not forward-looking. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Factors that could affect InfoSpace's actual results include the progress and costs of the development of our products and services and the timing of market acceptance of those products and services. A more detailed description of certain factors that could affect actual results include, but are not limited to, those discussed in InfoSpace's Annual Report on Form 10-K, in the section entitled "Factors Affecting Our Operating Results, Business Prospects and Market Price of Stock." Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. InfoSpace undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events or circumstances after the date of this release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
For further information, please contact:
Rob Taylor, PR Manager, InfoSpace, Inc.
Tel: +44 (0)1483 549 298
e-mail: rob.taylor@infospace.com
Emma Gould, Virgin Mobile Press Office
Tel: +44 (0)20 7385 0009
e-mail: emma@big-mouths.com
Alison Bonny, Press Officer, Virgin Mobile
Tel: +44 (0)20 7484 4323
e-mail: press.office@virginmobile.com
Release Date: 02/10/2001
Published in M2 PressWIRE on Tuesday, October 2, 2001 at 11:12 GDT
Copyright (C)2001, M2 Communications Ltd.
Contact Us Terms of Use Corporate Licence Content About M2
Copyright (C)1991-2001 M2 Communications Ltd. www.m2.com, +44 24 7623 8200.
Use of the M2 web site and subsidiary sites is conditional on you accepting our terms and conditions (M2 Terms). By viewing the content of any M2-operated site and/or downloading its pages, you agree to abide by the M2 Terms. If you do not agree to the terms in full you should leave immediately and not access the site(s). In the unlikely event that the rules do not display on the hyperlink, you can obtain a set of rules by mailing webterms@m2.com (this email not valid for other purposes). |
