m-Travel.com and Travel Distribution News

Archive Category: Content

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.

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New Zealand start-up advocates free Wi-Fi access

There is a growing advocacy for free access to Wi-Fi networks based on the argument that much of the connection charge paid by consumers goes for marketing and payment processing. On the other side of this argument, there are those who maintain that consumers, especially the business traveler, are more than willing to pay for reliable and secure Internet access. Now, a New Zealand start-up is going global saying that free Wi-Fi is going to win the race.

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SmartVideo shows cell phone streaming video

LAS VEGAS -- At the National Association of Broadcasters show this week, SmartVideo Technologies will be demonstrating its high quality streaming video to narrowband Internet and cell phones. SmartVideo says it wireless technology provides a unique outlet for owners and distributors of video content to make their content available to any audience, anytime, anywhere.

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Disney content set for Chinese mobile market

TOKYO -- Index Corporation, a major provider of mobile phone content and information services, has signed an agreement with the Walt Disney Internet Group (WDIG) to develop and distribute Disney branded mobile content for the Chinese market. Having experienced joint success in Japan, where Index and WDIG already collaborate on several Disney branded mobile content projects which lead the market, the two companies have decided to extend their relationship into other markets in Asia.

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New York Times offered for mobile devices

NEW YORK -- NYTimes.com is partnering with Vindigo Studios, a developer and publisher of consumer information and entertainment applications for mobile devices, to launch NYTimes.com Mobile News with Verizon Wireless, the largest wireless service provider in the USA.

The new subscription service, priced at $3.75 monthly access, is available to Verizon Wireless customers with select Get It Now-capable phones. These customers can now download The New York Times's award-winning news coverage in an easy-to-read format, to read on their phones via a fast and flexible interface.

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MSNBC offers Wireless Traveler news service

REDMOND, Washington -- MSNBC.com, the web site of television network specializing in breaking news and original journalism, has launched MSNBC Wireless Traveler, a way for unwired mobile professionals to stay on top of the latest news and information. MSNBC is a 24-hour cable and Internet joint venture of Microsoft and NBC News.

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Sports could offer new mobile revenue streams

By Darryll Adler

LONDON -- In tough times the promise of new opportunities no matter how elusive are so much more appealing than when things are good. Last week's Financial Times Conference, "The Business of Sport", demonstrated this very point. Sponsorship -- one of the major sources of revenues for the sporting industry -- is under threat.

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American Airlines adds AvantGo mobile channel

DUBLIN, California -- My AvantGo has expanded its mobile channel with a new mobile Web site from American Airlines, offering up-to-the-minute flight schedule and loyalty program information for frequent fliers. In addition to the new airline site, My AvantGo channels let companies extend their marketing efforts to more than eight million registered mobile users worldwide.

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Travel seller lastminute.com offers SMS newsletter

LONDON -- European online travel seller lastminute.com has contracted with InfoSpace to provide an SMS newsletter service for mobile phone users. The weekly newsletter will be used by lastminute.com as a marketing tool to increase sales from customers visiting its web and WAP portals. 

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Blogging software for mobile phones launched

By Ken Smith | Editor, SmartTravelNews.com

CANNES, France -- Text messaging and taking and sending small-file photos with a mobile phone are not yet popular in the United States, but much of the rest of the world is wildly enthusiastic. If the exhibits and talk in the aisles at the 3GSM World Congress this week are an indication of the next big thing, then we may soon see many new applications in handheld mobile communications. The mobile phone is not just for voice any longer.

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Harden's London Restaurant Guide goes mobile

LONDON -- The best-selling Harden's London Restaurant Guide is going mobile. Finding a great restaurant in a specific price range is often a challenge, particularly for travelers. Now visitors and residents alike can take advantage of an insider's knowledge to find London's best places to eat with their Palm or Pocket PC handheld devices, and internet-enabled mobile phones including BREW handsets.

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Executives want news sent to mobile phones

NEW YORK -- When it comes to wireless phone usage, business professionals embrace advanced features that would enable them to receive business-related news and breaking news via their cellular telephones, according to research released by Forbes.com.

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New Unimobile version has travel services

FOSTER CITY, California -- Electronics For Imaging (EFI) is launching the latest version of its Unimobile enterprise messaging system. EFI says its Unimobile 5.0 enables companies in major vertical markets such as travel, banking and finance, media, and field services to roll out end-to-end mobile business solutions, the company said. Travel services will include flight notifications, gate change notifications, mobile ticketing, frequent flyer updates, mileage redemption, and in-flight text messaging.

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Weather Channel, Air2Web offer wireless Doppler

ATLANTA -- The Weather Channel has selected wireless platform provider Air2Web to build and support its new Doppler Radar application for Java-enabled wireless phones.

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toronto.com joins Infotriever partner network

TORONTO -- toronto.com, the second largest city site in North America, has launched Infotriever's event and contact delivery Web service for free to its users and as a premium option for Toronto-area merchants. With Infotriever, toronto.com users will be able to add contacts and events from the toronto.com Web site and e-mails directly into their personal address book and calendar applications, including Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Notes, Palm OS and Act 2000.

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Times of India sends wireless news alerts

ATLANTA -- Natives of India living abroad in United States and Canada can now get instant news and sports information via Short Message Service (SMS) alerts on any digital wireless phone from the Times of India. Users can receive this by registering with the Indiatimes Web site with fees starting at 67 cents per month.

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Nokia sends Weather Channel text messages

IRVING, Texas -- Nokia and The Weather Channel are now offering wireless phone users text messages with  airport weather forecasts and average airport departure delays on their mobile phones. 

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10Best launches LBS content on AT&T's mMode

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- 10Best, an online and wireless travel content provider, is launching its 10Best Explorer on AT&T Wireless' mMode service beginning this week. AT&T's Wireless' mMode subscribers will receive a free 30-day trial to preview 10Best's recommendations for 309 cities worldwide.

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Openwave releases WAP library for developers

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- Openwave Systems, a major producer of open IP-based communication infrastructure software and applications, has released its  Openwave WAP Push Library, Java Edition 1.0, to support the development of mobile applications.

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Michelin Guide now available in UK on T-Mobile

LONDON -- Continuing its development of partnerships with large European mobile phone operators, ViaMichelin has launched the UK version of its Michelin Red Guide application on T-Mobile online, the mobile data arm of T-Mobile International. This means that subscribers to the T-Mobile online service in the UK can access the full range of Michelin recommended hotels and restaurants in the UK and around Europe.

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CustomWeather's forecasts now on AsiaTravelMart

SAN FRANCISCO -- Weather data syndicator CustomWeather is partnering with AsiaTravelMart, the largest online travel company in Asia. AsiaTravelMart.com is an "award-winning one-stop travel shop" for hotels, flights, tour packages, transfers, meals and car rentals. In addition, this service provides users worldwide with access to a large library of destination guides, resources and the latest travel-related news.

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CustomWeather adds to wireless global coverage

SAN FRANCISCO -- Weather forecasts and reports for 58,000 cities around the world are now available on Web-enabled mobile phones and other wireless handheld devices. CustomWeather, a supplier of syndicated geo-coded weather data, will provide location-sensitive weather services for more than125,000 global locations by year-end. 

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Terra Lycos markets i3 Mobile service in US

STAMFORD, Conn. -- i3 Mobile, a leading provider of premium wireless content and services, has signed an agreement with Terra Lycos, the largest global Internet network, to co-market Pronto, i3 Mobile's new premium subscription service. 

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KPN Mobile tests NTT DoCoMo's i-mode

THE HAGUE -- The KPN Mobile group tomorrow begins what it describes as "the first practical i-mode tests with a small group of users." This follows the technical co-ordination of the high-speed GPRS network and the new i-mode handsets. 

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WCITIES and Rocking Frog to develop LBS

LONDON -- Rocking Frog, a wireless data technology business currently in incubation within BTexact Technologies' corporate incubator, Brightstar, and WCITIES, a global location based information service provider, are collaborating to jointly develop applications combining WCITIES' location-based content with Rocking Frog's personalisation technology.

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NTT DoCoMo and Nokia promote open mobile

HELSINKI -- NTT DoCoMo and Nokia have launched a joint action plan to accelerate the development based on the open mobile architecture initiative. The two companies said they have an understanding that common open mobile service middleware is a fundamental enabler to global deployment of mobile services.

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MobileSoft enables networks to offer DoCoMo 3G

ATLANTA -- MobileSoft has launched its NextMode that enables wireless carriers to immediately offer future generation services over their interim 2.5G networks with many of the rich media features now present through NTT DoCoMo i-mode 3G. 

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Portable Internet introduces GPS for handhelds

PARK RIDGE, New Jersey -- With the trademarked tag line "You'd be lost without us," Portable Internet has introduced its destination guide and navigator for Palm OS, Pocket PC and Windows CE handheld mobile devices now enhanced with GPS position location, proximity searches, and navigation. The system also has voice navigation for Pocket PC.

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Google provides searches for AT&T wireless

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- In what both companies described as an ongoing effort to broaden services for users of wireless devices, Google and AT&T Wireless have agreed to provide subscribers with Internet-ready mobile phones direct access to Google's popular search engine. Under the agreement, AT&T Wireless customers now can access more than 1.6 billion Web pages and five million WAP-ready pages on their mobile phones.

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Mobile commerce conference focuses on content

By Darryll Adler

LONDON -- Although some key speakers such as Guy Kawasaki, CEO Garage Technology Ventures, did not make it across the pond to the Mobile Commerce World Europe conference this week, it was still considered a success, even with 50% fewer registered delegates than the previous year. 

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$5 million invested in Cerylion for personal wireless

WOBURN, Mass. -- Cerylion, Inc. has secured $5 million in series B convertible preferred funding with an investment was led by Boston-based Chestnut Partners, Inc., a private merchant bank serving corporate clients throughout the United States with investment banking services. Cerylion will use the funding to continue development of its wireless offering and to expand the company's sales efforts.

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Personalized mobile audio news service launched

ATLANTA  -- New technology is often over-sold and hyper-marketed as being unique and revolutionary. But, this week MobileBriefs launched a mobile audio news and information service that is truly a first. 

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Oracle expands wireless for travel publisher Fodors

REDWOOD SHORES, Calif. -- Oracle Corp.is developing and hosting expanded wireless travel information services for Fodors.com, one of the largest online travel information providers.

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AvantGo CEO Owen to speak on mobile CRM

AvantGo CEO Richard Owen has been added to the list of industry leaders who will speak at the Wireless in the Travel Industry 2001 Conference and Exhibition, 11-12 September in Los Angeles. Together with Expedia Marketing Manager Mitch Robinson, Owen will present a case study entitled "Increasing loyalty and revenue through mobile CRM."

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Innovata provides hotel content to Action Engine

ATLANTA — Innovata has signed an agreement with Action Engine to supply information on 30,000 U.S. hotel properties. Innovata is a provider of  travel content and distribution solutions to the hospitality industry, while Action Engine sells technology to wireless carriers and wireless mobile device manufacturers.

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Qualcomm, Nortel report first 3G mobile test

SAN DIEGO -- Qualcomm and Nortel Networks have announced that they had successfully conduct the first successful end-to-end live third-generation (3G) CDMA2000 1X Mobile Internet Protocol (IP) call. Mobile IP is a solution that allows data to be transferred across 3G packet networks. CDMA technology enables users to access a wide range of new services, including caller identification, short messaging services and Internet connections. Simultaneous voice and data calls are also possible using CDMA technology. 

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Charging for content is key to wireless success

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Research by Ovum, an analysis and consulting company, indicates that winning companies in the Wireless Internet market will be those that charge users for content.

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