BELLEVUE, Wash.-InfoSpace Inc. unveiled its new Modalyst platform, a set of development tools and technologies the company said will allow those interested in selling wireless applications to do so more quickly.
In its unveiling, InfoSpace released the first tools for the platform, which are designed to allow developers to create text and multimedia messaging applications. Using the Modalyst messaging development tools, users can turn raw XML content into personalized short message service or multimedia messaging service messages and applications, thus offering stock quotes, scores and events or multimedia applications such as maps, charts and icons, audio and video clips and extended text.
The messaging tools mark the first set of offerings through the Modalyst platform. InfoSpace said it plans to offer browsing tools for WAP and xHTML and client tools for Java and BREW systems.
“Building an application is a lot more complicated than pushing an image to a phone,” said Kendra VanderMeulen, executive vice president of InfoSpace’s mobile business.
Although developers are already creating messaging applications, as well as browser sites and Java and BREW services, VanderMeulen said InfoSpace’s tools will make the process more smooth. Further, the company has connections with a variety of wireless carriers, thus also simplifying application distribution. VanderMeulen declined to name specific carrier partners.
“It automatically lets them deploy their application into the carrier,” VanderMeulen said.
