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Virgin Mobile Chooses InfoSpace for World's Most Comprehensive Mobile Search
InfoSpace, Inc. (Nasdaq:INSP), a leading developer of mobile
technologies, will today announce that it is supplying Virgin Mobile
with its complete suite of mobile platform services, including the
addition of a customized, integrated mobile search solution. As a
result, Virgin Mobile will be able to offer its subscribers the
ability to search the web, WAP sites and Virgin Mobile's own portal
and storefront providing access to ringtones, games and other premium
content.
InfoSpace's next generation mobile search solution for Virgin
Mobile will reflect the company's recent partnerships with FAST Search
& Transfer, a leading developer of search technologies, and InfoGin, a
leader in the field of Web-to-mobile content adaptation. Virgin Mobile
will benefit from FAST's superior search software, relevancy
algorithms, crawling and indexing technologies and InfoGin's
Web-to-mobile content adaptation technology to deliver the most
comprehensive and commercially deployed mobile search solution.
InfoSpace's industry-leading metasearch technology seamlessly blends
results from several sources including Storefronts, WAP and Web
indexing, as well as Portal Search. With the InfoSpace's mobile search
solution, operators can maintain visibility while providing users the
advantages of a comprehensive mobile search experience that enables
searching for any content or information, regardless of its origin or
format, using a single search box.
Nick White, Head of Digital Services and NPD at Virgin Mobile,
said: "If the impact of the internet on our daily lives, as well as
the global economy, has taught the mobile world anything, it is that
it's no longer about searching for the next killer application --
search itself is the killer application. Virgin mobile is a firm
believer that the there should be no limit to the content available
for our users -- from the latest celeb gossip to searches for
entertainment in the local area or even the most cryptic piece of
trivia -- it must be available to everyone, everywhere. We are very
pleased to extend our relationship with InfoSpace into this exciting
new area."
George Fraser, Managing Director - Europe, InfoSpace Mobile, said:
"The mobile phone has revolutionized communication when on the move.
Mobile search is the next stage of this revolution and brings all of
the world's knowledge to mobile users' fingertips. We have been
working with Virgin Mobile on mobile content since 2001, so we know
what their subscribers expect and demand. Our intimate understanding
of the mobile portal, combined with our heritage in online search and
directories, means we are uniquely placed to enable operators to
really exploit the potential of mobile search."
InfoSpace already provides mobile search services for numerous
operators worldwide including Sprint in North America, which included
the world's first cellular location-based search service.
About Virgin Mobile
Virgin Mobile is the UK's largest mobile virtual network operator
and uses T-Mobile's network. Since its launch in November 1999, Virgin
Mobile has attracted more than 4 million customers. Virgin Mobile is
part of Virgin Media. The group is the first to be able to offer
"quadruple play" to customers: mobile and fixed line telephony,
broadband internet and television.
In the UK, Virgin Mobile phones are available direct on 0845 6000
600, on the web at www.virginmobile.co.uk or on the high street at
approximately 5,000 outlets including Virgin Mobile Stores within
Virgin Megastores and selected WHSmiths, The Carphone Warehouse, The
Link, Phones 4 U, Currys.digital, Comet, Tesco, Asda, John Lewis,
Argos, Woolworths, Toys R Us, Ryman, web retailer Dial-a-phone plus
hundreds of independent mobile phone dealers and available via Shop
Direct/Littlewoods, Grattan and Empire home shopping channels.
Virgin Mobile Pay Monthly (contract) is currently available in
Virgin Mobile Stores, The Carphone Warehouse, The Link, Phones 4u, at
concessions in WHSmith and from www.virginmobile.co.uk. Virgin Mobile
employs approximately 1,700 staff at three sites, Trowbridge, London
and Daventry, and has an outsourced customer service centre operated
by approximately 200 staff in Middlesbrough.
Since 2000, Virgin Mobile has consecutively won the best customer
service award at the Mobile Choice Awards and has been voted one of
the UK's best 25 workplaces in the Financial Times survey for three
years running. 2006 also saw www.virginmobile.co.uk voted "Website of
the Year 2006."
About InfoSpace Mobile
InfoSpace Mobile is a leading developer of mobile technologies and
infrastructure services that help mobile users quickly and easily
discover and enjoy content and information on the go. InfoSpace's
mobile platform offers carrier partners a customizable, scalable
solution for the programming and delivery of mobile content, helping
build stronger brands and generate revenue. Mobile users benefit from
the best-in-class local search experience of InfoSpace Find It!TM
www.infospacefindit.com, and InfoSpace's easy-to-use mobile portal,
search, messaging and storefront offerings. The company's mobile
products and services are available to over 200 million consumers
through mobile operators such as AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile, Verizon
Wireless, Sprint Nextel, and Virgin Mobile. For further information
please visit www.infospaceinc.com.
Cautionary Note about Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements regarding the
availability of InfoSpace's mobile search technology to Virgin
Mobile's users. 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 Virgin Mobile agreement, the progress and costs
of deployment of products and services, the scope and timing of user
adoption and implementation and market acceptance of the application
and features of InfoSpace's mobile search technology. 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.