InfoSpace (NASDAQ:INSP), a leading developer of mobile
technologies, today announced the formal launch of its mCore(R) Mobile
Services Platform, a suite of customizable mobile infrastructure
services designed to help carriers offer their subscribers a seamless,
intuitive experience for finding and enjoying mobile content and
information on the go. mCore is an innovative end-to-end technology
platform that enables a world class unified mobile media experience
spanning mobile search, storefronts, portals and messaging. Carriers
can deploy mCore in concert with their existing infrastructure in part
or as a whole to drive revenue across multiple areas.
According to Jupiter Research, annual mobile data revenue is
forecasted to grow by $3 billion over the next five years. Consumers
say that one of the main reasons they would be more likely to use
mobile data services, such as downloads, is if the user experience was
better. mCore addresses this issue by delivering a unified, consistent
user interface across all mobile data services, offering carriers the
opportunity to drive increased adoption and revenue while managing
costs.
"mCore represents the next generation in mobile platform
services," said Steve Elfman, executive vice president of InfoSpace's
mobile business unit. "Both carriers and mobile users are tired of
dealing with multiple technologies and interfaces when it comes to
information and content on the mobile phone. mCore resolves those
issues for the industry by delivering a solution that is intelligent
for the users and easy for carriers to integrate."
The InfoSpace mCore Platform
The mCore Platform provides an end-to-end technology
infrastructure to help carriers reduce ongoing maintenance costs,
improve customer service, increase opportunities for revenue and
simplify the end user experience. Carriers can deploy the back-end
technologies into their existing infrastructure in part or as a whole
to offer a best-in-class unified mobile data experience while driving
revenue. In addition to hosting solutions and capabilities, the mCore
Platform includes:
-- Search: InfoSpace mCore Search delivers seamlessly blended,
highly relevant results to offer users a one-stop mobile
search experience while enabling multiple monetization models
for carriers.
-- Portal: InfoSpace mCore Portal provides an intuitive graphical
interface designed to maximize the interactive capabilities of
the full range of today's mobile devices. Powerful management
tools allow for rapid content and service deployment in an
integrated, personalizable environment, while also allowing
for managed promotional campaigns to drive sales of premium
services such as music, ringtones, games, and wallpapers.
-- Storefront: InfoSpace mCore Storefront makes purchasing
content easy and satisfying for a broad cross-section of
mobile consumers, and provides carriers with flexible
merchandising tools including packaged bundles, subscriptions
and tailored recommendations.
-- Messaging: InfoSpace mCore Messaging serves as a natural
extension of the Portal, offering real-time, push-based access
to breaking news, sports and entertainment via SMS or MMS
alerts, seamlessly integrated with carriers' gateway
infrastructure.
-- Managed Web: InfoSpace mCore Managed Web offers the best
operator-controlled Web experience, creating choice for users
and additional revenues from web search and mobile
advertising, while offering both unlimited and safe Web
experiences.
Carriers Rally Around mCore
InfoSpace recently announced that Virgin Mobile has deployed the
full suite of mCore Platform services, allowing the European carrier
to offer its subscribers the ability to search the Web, WAP sites and
Virgin Mobile's own portal and storefront. Several other key carrier
partners have also announced plans in recent months to deploy
components of the mCore Platform, demonstrating momentum and demand
for a more unified, relevant and easy-to-deploy mobile services
solution.
"Deploying the complete mCore suite of services will introduce
significant cost savings and operational efficiencies within our
mobile infrastructure," said Nick White, Head of Digital Services and
NPD at Virgin Mobile. "InfoSpace's integrated mobile platform allows
us to offer a simple, unified experience for our customers, and focus
our energy and resources on providing the best mobile user experience
available."
Today's announcement reflects InfoSpace's sharpened focus on its
mobile services business and comes on the heels of significant
investments in the mCore Platform. The company recently announced
partnerships with FAST, a leading developer of search technologies,
and InfoGin, a pioneer and world leader in the field of Web-to-mobile
content adaptation. FAST Search & Transfer will be integrated as part
of mCore, to deliver a joint mobile search service which will enable
carriers to take more control over their content business models, and
provide a richer mobile search experience to customers. InfoGin's
Intelligent Mobile Platform(TM) (IMP(TM)) will enable mobile browsing
of the Web through the mCore Platform.
InfoSpace recently sponsored a whitepaper titled, "Unified Mobile
Data Platform: An Analytics-Based Approach," which discusses the
evolution of data services and the need for a unified mobile data
services approach. For more information about the InfoSpace mCore
Mobile Services Platform and to download the whitepaper in full please
visit: www.infospaceinc.com/mcore.
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!
(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.
Cautionary note about forward-looking statements
This release contains forward-looking statements regarding
InfoSpace's mobile technologies business, mCore(TM) Mobile Services
Platform and its agreement with Virgin Mobile for its deployment.
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 the performance under the agreement
with Virgin Mobile, 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, including its mCore(R) Mobile Services
Platform. 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.