NEW ORLEANS-Amazon.com Inc. intensified its wireless presence last week, announcing a new Web address exclusively for mobile e-commerce customers as well as alliances with Bell Atlantic Mobile and Motorola Inc.
The new site, located at www.amazon.com/phone/, is accessible from any Wireless Application Protocol-enabled phone and is part of the company’s “Amazon.com Anywhere” strategy launched last October to facilitate online shopping by wireless phone users.
Joe Galli, president and chief operating officer of Amazon.com, said he doesn’t expect high sales numbers from the site in the short-term, but that instead, “The company is focusing on pioneering a platform to facilitate easy wireless shopping.”
“As our business goes increasingly global, a larger percentage of our business will be wireless,” Galli said.
To entice wireless customers to use the site, Galli said Amazon.com will offer gift certificates and electronic coupons good toward future e-commerce purchases, as well as promote the site and service heavily on its regular Web site.
The company also announced a strategic relationship with Motorola under which Motorola said it will add a bookmark to its Internet-enabled handsets that will directly connect users to the Amazon.com Web site.
Bell Atlantic Mobile said its Web Access customers now will be able to access Amazon.com’s Internet services directly from their WAP-enabled wireless phones as well.
