AOL Launches New Browsing Service For Mobile Phones
Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2006 8:41 am
AOL LAUNCHES NEW MOBILE BROWSING SERVICE THAT AUTOMATICALLY ADAPTS WEB PAGES TO MOBILE SCREENS
Delivers Complete Mobile Portal Services to Sprint Subscribers Nationwide
Delivers Complete Mobile Portal Services to Sprint Subscribers Nationwide
CTIA Wireless 2006 in Las Vegas, NV and Dulles, VA - April 3, 2006 - As part of its ongoing commitment to making wireless devices easier to enjoy, AOL today announced the debut of new mobile information and location services, including a new addition to the industry-leading suite of mobile AOL Search services. The new offering is a mobile browsing service that automatically adapts Web pages for mobile screens. The easy-to-use mobile browsing service can be used by wireless subscribers with Web-enabled phones.
According to a new survey AOL conducted with the Associated Press and Pew Research Center, 52 percent of adults keep their cell phone turned on all day, everyday, and 40 percent of those aged 18-29 are likely to drop their landline once and for all. Published today, the report reveals that more than 30 percent of adults want to search and browse the Web from their cell phone, while 47 percent say that mobile maps and driving directions are a "must have" on the next phone they buy.
"We are committed to providing people with easy access to the Web's full range of information, location and communications services wherever they may go," said Eric Engstrom, senior vice president of Products for AOL's wireless group. "We are pleased to be working with the nation's leading carriers to provide their subscribers with our complete suite of popular and consumer-friendly offerings. Together, we are making it easy for people to stay connected to friends, family members and colleagues."
AOL's new mobile browsing service has been seamlessly integrated into the existing suite of mobile AOL® Search services -- including Web search, shopping search and local search -- to make it easy for consumers to navigate the Web and find anything they need from their mobile device. The enhanced mobile AOL Search services support today's mobile lifestyle by 'right-sizing' the Internet for small mobile screens.
The new browsing service also marks the successful continuation of AOL's cooperation with InfoGin Ltd., a pioneer of Web to mobile content adaptation solutions. AOL tapped InfoGin's transcoding and content analysis technologies to extend the ease of desktop search and navigation to wireless devices, bringing the full wealth of Web resources to mobile users' finger tips.
AOL Expands Relationship with Sprint
Building on their long-standing relationship, AOL is bringing its mobile portal services to Sprint subscribers nationwide. AOL's mobile Web portal is a wireless version of the new AOL.com® portal (http://www.aol.com). It is a one-stop-shop that gives mobile users easy access to the newly enhanced mobile AOL® Search, AIM®, AOL® Mail and AOL® Pictures services as well as AOL's news, entertainment, sports and weather content.
Sprint subscribers now have full access to America's most popular instant messaging community via downloadable mobile AIM applications or through the wireless Web. Features include presence awareness via the mobile Buddy List® feature, IM Forwarding and two-way desktop-to-mobile (IM2SMS) messaging services.
MapQuest Launches New Mobile Offerings
In a related announcement, AOL today debuted MapQuest's new Web-enabled service making it easier for consumers to access MapQuest.com and coming soon, MapQuest Navigator will enable consumers to access Global Positioning Service (GPS), turn-by-turn, voice-guided directions on their mobile phones.
Coming Soon
-- A new mobile pictures upload feature will allow AOL Pictures users (AOL members and AIM users alike) to automatically post photos taken with their mobile device to their AOL Pictures account, regardless of their wireless carrier. The feature will be available starting this spring and can be enabled through the AOL Pictures website (http://www.aol.com/pictures).
-- AOL will introduce mobile blogging capabilities that will enable consumers to automatically post pictures from their mobile device to their AOL Journal or AIM Blog. The mobile blogging feature will be available later this spring.
Pricing and availability:
- AOL's mobile Web portal is included with all Sprint PCS Vision T and Sprint Power VisionSM plans, and can be found by navigating to the "portals" category from the Vision home menu.
- To learn more about mobile AOL services available to Sprint subscribers, please go to http://www.aolmobile.com/sprint
- Mobile AOL Search Services, including the new advanced browsing services, are available via mobile browser at http://www.aol.com
- Consumers with Web-enabled mobile phones can access MapQuest.com by going to http://wap.mapquest.com
- MapQuest expects the MapQuest Navigator service to be available through major U.S. cell phone providers later this year. To get more information, go to http://www.mapquest.com/mobile