InfoSpace and FAST Announce Partnership to Provide Carriers with New High-Powered, Integrated Mobile Search Solution
Companies Leverage Strength in Storefront, Portal, Local and WAP Search to Offer Mobile Carriers Unmatched Customization and Ease of Deployment
Fast Search & Transfer(TM) (OSEAX: FAST.OL) (FAST(TM)), a leading
developer of search technologies, and InfoSpace, Inc. (NASDAQ:INSP), a
leading developer of mobile platform services, today announced a
partnership to deliver a next-generation white label ASP mobile search
service that will enable carriers to take more control over their
content business models, and provide a richer mobile search experience
to customers. The two companies, with more than 20 years combined
experience in the search industry, have deployed more white label
mobile search solutions worldwide than any other provider.
The strategic partnership for mobile search will offer carriers
unsurpassed functionality, reliability, relevancy and performance in a
mobile search solution, merging FAST's superior search software,
relevancy algorithms, crawling and indexing technologies with
InfoSpace's expertise in mobile infrastructure, metasearch, carrier
integration and customer-facing ASP solutions. For carriers that
increasingly need to position themselves to compete against new market
entrants and capitalize on new revenue opportunities, the joint
solution from FAST and InfoSpace will give them greater versatility in
controlling the user experience across multiple platforms, and
deploying business models that better promote their own brands and
services.
"Our ongoing partnerships on mobile search with leading carriers
in North America and Europe highlight our expertise in meeting the
needs of their customers," said Steve Elfman, executive vice president
of InfoSpace's mobile business unit. "We're joining forces with FAST
to further our integrated approach that will unlock the full potential
of mobile search, including enhanced user discoverability and
increased carrier revenue."
By leveraging the industry's most advanced search platform and its
relevancy and personalization capabilities, InfoSpace and FAST will
help carriers realize the promise of mobile search with improvements
in the discovery and recommendation of downloadable content, access to
the best off-deck mobile web index and best-of-breed alternatives for
mobile advertising. Moreover, the companies will collaborate to
develop superior storefront and WAP index functionality.
"Search is the most used and most profitable tool on the Internet.
The FAST and InfoSpace partnership takes the search paradigm to mobile
users to allow for controlling and monetizing each user interaction
with a robust set of features, built on top of superior portal search
and mobile web search," said John Markus Lervik, CEO of FAST.
"Personalized results enhance user satisfaction, increase purchases,
increase traffic, and drive advertising revenue or any other business
model deemed important by the mobile carrier."
The partnership between FAST and InfoSpace typifies the exciting
growth opportunities in the mobile search market, including
personalized mobile search and targeted advertising. By 2011,
eMarketer predicts brands will be spending nearly $5 billion on
advertising, up from $421 million in 2006.
About InfoSpace, Inc.
InfoSpace, Inc. is a leading developer of tools and technologies
to help people discover and enjoy content and information -- whether
on a mobile phone or on the PC. The company's mobile platform and
applications, such as InfoSpace Find It!(TM)
(www.infospacefindit.com), create programming and sales opportunities
for carriers, while satisfying consumer demand for highly relevant
mobile functionality and content. InfoSpace uses its proprietary
metasearch technology to power a portfolio of branded Web sites,
including Dogpile(R) (www.dogpile.com), ranked highest in customer
satisfaction by J.D. Powers and Associates, and Zoo (www.zoo.com), a
new family-friendly search engine, and provide private-label search
and online directory services to consumers on a global basis. More
information can be found at www.infospaceinc.com.
About FAST
FAST creates the real-time search and business intelligence
solutions that are behind the scenes at the world's best- known
companies with the most demanding information challenges. FAST's
flexible and scalable integrated technology platform and personalized
portal connects users, regardless of medium, to the relevant
information they need.
FAST is headquartered in Norway and is publicly traded under the
ticker symbol 'FAST' on the Oslo Stock Exchange. The FAST Group
operates globally with presence in Europe, the United States, Asia,
Australia, the Americas, and the Middle East. For further information
about FAST, please visit www.fastsearch.com.
(C) 2007 Fast Search & Transfer ASA - Fast Search & Transfer,
FAST, Adaptive Information Warehouse, AIW, AdMomentum, Impulse and
Hubway are trademarks of Fast Search & Transfer ASA. The FAST logo,
FAST ESP, FAST InStream, FAST InPerspective, FAST ProPublish, FAST
Contextual Insight and FAST Unity are registered trademarks of Fast
Search & Transfer ASA. All rights reserved.
This release contains forward-looking statements regarding
InfoSpace's mobile search solution and its partnership with Fast
Search & Transfer. These forward-looking statements are subject to
certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those projected. 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 actual
performance under the Fast Search & Transfer agreement, the scope and
timing of market acceptance and mobile carrier implementation of the
mobile search solution. A more detailed description of certain factors
that could affect actual results include, but are not limited to,
those discussed in InfoSpace's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K
and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q as filed from time to time, in the
section entitled, "Risk Factors." 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.