InfoSpace Selected to Power Virgin.net's Wireline Services
BELLEVUE, Wash. & LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 11, 2002--InfoSpace, Inc. (Nasdaq:INSP - news), a provider of wireless and Internet software and application services, today announced it has been chosen to host and power a wide range of new wireline services for Virgin.net's new look portal, including personalization and customization tools, integrated Personal Information Manager (PIM) applications, comprehensive set of directory services and information channels for the portal.
The agreement is intended to enhance the services that Virgin.net, the U.K.'s fifth largest Internet Service Provider (ISP), offers to its end-users, while reducing the costs of providing these services.
The portal is scheduled to be launched in the second quarter and will feature InfoSpace powered wireline platform and services, such as User Manager, which enables users to personalize and customize their Virgin.net experience, PIM products, including Calendar, Address Book and To-Do List, all of which are fully integrated, directory services and an array of information sets, as well as the current Virgin.net shopping and search services. A number of the new InfoSpace powered wireline services are also planned to be delivered wirelessly through Virgin Mobile, thus enhancing Virgin Mobile's existing brand of VirginXtras value-added services.
Peter Tuomey, sales & marketing director of Virgin.net said, ``As one of the UK's leading ISPs we need continuously to evolve our information and wireline services in line with customer expectations and demands. We believe that working with InfoSpace will allow us to do precisely that.''
Naveen Jain, chairman and CEO of InfoSpace, Inc. said, ``This agreement with Virgin.net reflects our ability to host and power high traffic wireline services, and to enhance their service offerings. We are pleased to be working with Virgin.net and assisting their efforts to grow in a cost effective manner making best use of our technology platform.''
Virgin.net merged its ISP and portal businesses in November 2001 and launched an unmetered access service -- Virgin.net 24seven -- in December 2001. |
