AvantGo releases new mobile travel features

DUBLIN, Calif. -- The beta release of travel features for AvantGo mobile Internet service has been announced by iAnywhere Solutions, a subsidiary of Sybase. The new AvantGo features are available as an additional tab within the application, enabling users to access flight itineraries, weather, directions, maps and city guides for 98 metropolitan areas worldwide.

"The new travel features enhance AvantGo's unparalleled personalized user experience and demonstrate our commitment to provide our millions of users with the content they want -- anytime, anywhere," said Neil Versen, senior director of AvantGo at iAnywhere. "For frequent travelers, AvantGo's new travel tab aggregates all of their important information in one place, giving them easy access to airline and hotel itineraries -- a great convenience when they are on the go."

The new features, sponsored by Cadillac, bring together access to user account information from travel partners Expedia Corporate Travel, Northwest Airlines, Sabre Virtually There and Travelocity Business, with additional partners to be announced.

The beta release of the new AvantGo travel features is available immediately for users of AvantGo version 5.7 software, available for Palm OS 5, Symbian UIQ, Symbian Series 60 (v6.1) and Windows Mobile Pocket PC devices. The beta is available in English only. Version 5.7 users only need to synchronize their device to receive the updated beta features. The general release of the AvantGo Travel service is expected for late summer and will include expanded travel conveniences.

AvantGo is a free service that delivers personalized mobile websites to smartphones and PDAs. The company lists hundreds of major brands as content and service providers, including American Airlines, CNET, Infiniti, Rolling Stone and The New York Times.