DULLES, Va.-America Online Inc. launched a suite of services allowing users to shop, search the Web and access local listings from their wireless handsets.
The Internet giant unveiled a mobile Web site that delivers content and search results for browser-enabled mobile phones. Users can search the Internet for both regular and WAP-enabled Web sites, and browse results including clickable links that are specifically formatted for mobile phones via transcoding and content analysis technologies from InfoGin Ltd.
Also available from AOL is a Yellow Pages offering that returns local listings and incorporates maps and directions from MapQuest.
The services are free aside from carrier data service charges.
AOL’s launch follows similar offerings from Yahoo Inc. and Google Inc.
Meanwhile, competing mobile search provider UpSnap unveiled an affiliate-marketing program, offering partners a $1 commission for each consumer referred to its service. The North Carolina-based company hopes the cash reward will motivate young mobile phone users to encourage their friends to access UpSnap’s offerings, which include local listings, jokes, horoscopes and pick-up lines.
“Affiliate programs have proven to be an effective marketing channel for reaching the young, tech-savvy mobile consumers who would benefit most from UpSnap’s services,” said Tony Philipp, the company’s chief executive officer. “With over 165 million cell phone subscribers in the U.S., our unique program allows Web publishers to share in a tremendous new revenue stream.”
