Iusacell, Mexico's No. 2 Wireless Operator and Verizon Int'l Affiliate, Selects InfoSpace's Speech-Enabled SMS Alerts Multimodal Application
biz.yahoo.com
Wednesday February 20, 8:29 am Eastern Time
Press Release
SOURCE: InfoSpace, Inc.
Iusacell subscribers among the first to have speech-enabled SMS alerts capabilities; Spanish-language application designed to drive SMS usage and revenues
BELLEVUE, Wash. & MEXICO CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 20, 2002-- InfoSpace, Inc. (Nasdaq:INSP - news), a provider of wireless and Internet software and application services, today announced that Iusacell, S.A. de C.V. (BMV:CEL) (NYSE:CEL - news), Mexico's No. 2 wireless phone operator, and subsidiary of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - news), has selected InfoSpace's Spanish-language Speech-Enabled SMS Alerts, a multimodal application designed to
provide subscribers with a convenient and easy-to-use set-up and provisioning tool for receiving SMS alerts.
In addition, InfoSpace also announced today that Iusacell has selected InfoSpace's Spanish-language wireless technologies and applications to power the launch of a broad range of WAP and SMS-based mobile data services, including Speech-Enabled SMS Alerts, to its customers under the Iusacell brand (http://www.businesswire.com/insp/index.shtml).
InfoSpace's Speech-Enabled SMS Alerts application is designed to increase usage of SMS services. Iusacell's wireless data subscribers, through InfoSpace's Spanish SMS speech application, will have the ability to easily create and modify alerts directly from their wireless phones. Speech-enabling SMS alerts may also create larger revenue opportunities due to potential increases in SMS usage by making the services easier to access and extending their reach to include more devices, even those that are not WAP or two-way SMS capable.
Also, the ability to demonstrate wireless data capabilities in store by using voice to set up SMS alert features such as timed stock portfolio alerts, sports score alerts, news alerts, among others, should assist Iusacell's marketing and sales professionals capture point-of-sale opportunities for data services.
``We believe that speech-enabling the set-up and provisioning of SMS services is a very convenient and powerful multimodal application, especially for subscribers without readily available access to a PC and Internet connection,'' said Jan Claesson, InfoSpace executive vice president, wireless. ``Iusacell's wireless data subscribers will be among the first to have speech-enabled SMS alert capabilities where they can easily add, modify or delete alerts simply by using their voice. Speech-Enabled SMS alerts provisioning is an application that anybody can use,'' Claesson added.
``SMS services, including alerts and mobile originated SMS, or two-way SMS, are large pieces of our wireless agreement with InfoSpace,'' said Peter H. Burrowes, president and general director of Iusacell. ``Set-up and provisioning of SMS alerts by voice commands from the mobile phone is a compelling solution we will offer to our wireless data subscribers.''
About Iusacell
Iusacell, S.A. de C.V. (Iusacell, NYSE: CEL; BMV: CEL) is the wireless cellular service provider in four of Mexico's nine regions in the central portion of Mexico (including Mexico City) and recently acquired the A-band cellular carrier in the southeastern region, which is in the process of consolidation. In addition, it holds concessions to provide wireless PCS services in regions 1 and 4 in the northern part of the country. Total service regions are covering a total of approximately 90 million POPs, representing approximately 90% of the country's total population. Iusacell is under the management and operating control of subsidiaries of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - news).
About InfoSpace, Inc.
InfoSpace, Inc. (Nasdaq:INSP - news) provides wireless and Internet software and application services. The Company develops software technologies that enable customers to efficiently offer a broad array of network-based services under their own brand to any device.
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 portal site service agreement with Iusacell S.A. de C.V., 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.
Contact:
InfoSpace, Inc.
Steve Stratz, 425/709-8167
steve.stratz@infospace.com |
