AirFlash Launches Integrated Mobile-content and m-Commerce Service for Wireless Carriers and Portals

"AirFlash Powered by Inktomi" Ushers in New Era in Relevant Information and Electronic Shopping for Mobile Medium

AirFlash, Inc., a leading provider of mobile-relevant location and m-Commerce services for wireless carriers and portals, today unveiled the "AirFlash powered by Inktomi"(TM) service that provides state-of-the-art location-based services and, utilizing Inktomi Corporation's Commerce engine initially, will deliver a powerful and scalable mobile shopping experience for consumers. Scheduled for availability by June 2000, "AirFlash powered by Inktomi" is the only global service that will be designed from the ground up explicitly for mobile phones and other wireless devices, bringing features such as customized yellow pages, driving directions, city/event guides and ticketing to a new Mobile Medium.

Like other delivery vehicles such as newspapers, television or the web, the Mobile Medium requires content clearly created for a wireless device that is always on, always connected and always with the user. At the core of "AirFlash powered by Inktomi" is a revolutionary environment from AirFlash(TM), called SmartZone(TM), which enables a mobile-relevant user experience by tying together location and time relevant content from a variety of sources, integrated with a mobile interface and a one-click shopping experience.

"We believe that by combining AirFlash's pure focus on the Mobile Medium with Inktomi's suite of shopping, directory and search capabilities, we are creating a unique content infrastructure for mobile carriers and portals," said Rama Aysola, CEO of AirFlash. "While others scramble to automatically convert content from the web medium to the mobile phone, AirFlash focuses on creating new mobile-relevant content and commerce services from scratch."

"Our investment in and alliance with AirFlash will help drive the deployment of powerful Internet infrastructure software for the global wireless market," said David Peterschmidt, president and CEO at Inktomi. "AirFlash's SmartZone location and time-relevant content will provide mobile operators with a compelling differentiated solution that will enable them to harness the rapid growth of the wireless Internet."

New Medium Requires New Approach

According to Gartner Group, the Stamford, CT-based market analyst firm, the growth of mobile phone usage will reach approximately one billion by the year 2003, and 80 percent of these phones will be web capable. Requirements for these mobile customers will be quite different than today's static Internet usage as the sense of urgency is much higher and element of location much more critical.

"The Internet will not be successfully translated to the mobile world without location awareness which is a significant enabler in order to translate the Internet into a viable mobile economy," said Bob Egan, vice president of Mobile and Wireless at Gartner Group. "The new service from AirFlash and Inktomi should provide a good kick start for wireless carriers and portals in offering expanded service to their customers for easy to use, reliable content and commerce, all from the convenience of their wireless devices."

The SmartZone Environment Difference

The "AirFlash powered by Inktomi" service includes two crucial feature sets for mobile users to retrieve time-sensitive Internet-based information and m-Commerce services. Customers can obtain restaurant reservations; ATM access; tickets for concerts, plays and sporting events; airline, hotel, and car rental bookings, as well as driving directions and yellow and white page directories, all based on the user's current or desired location.

The "AirFlash powered by Inktomi" service also provides a powerful wireless shopping experience, permitting mobile customers to purchase products with one click directly from their mobile phones. The service incorporates the Inktomi Commerce engine that provides comparison-shopping from over five million products, enabling the most choices available anywhere. In future product releases, the service will integrate the Inktomi Search and Directory engines as well.

The SmartZone environment includes key capabilities to redesign content and services for wireless devices, including: -0-

-- Patented location search algorithms that are optimized for natural and man made boundaries in accessing nearby events and businesses while eliminating those that are not reasonably in close proximity. For example, a consumer searching for a gas station may find that the nearest one, "as the crow flies," is actually across a river and, therefore, not conveniently accessible. SmartZone technology is aware of the river and quickly finds alternatives that are more convenient.

-- A continuous mobile-friendly interface which preserves location context while integrating content from a variety of sources. Results from any search can be saved as the basis for a subsequent query or action, eliminating unnecessary clicks.

-- Unique mobile one-click shopping environment that quickly and conveniently integrates complex instructions. For example, a mobile user can travel to their destination, locate a nearby hotel for the night, book a room, pinpoint and reserve a restaurant table and identify entertainment options, all with a few clicks on their mobile phone.


[ Home | Contact | MobiChat | Experts database | Let's do it ]

Comments to the content of this page can be posted on the MobiChat discussion group

logo.gif (1569 bytes)