And dedicated key

Apr 11, 2007 06:57 GMT  ·  By

One of America's largest networks, Alltel Wireless and JumpTap, a leading provider of mobile search and advertising solutions have announced that they will be launching the first carrier-branded mobile search application. The application will be pre-installed on handsets that will also feature a dedicated search key.

The special key will activate the BREW client that will allow users to search the web freely. This is convenient because, as in contrast to going through a whole complicated menu, the browser can be accessed with one single key in a matter of seconds. Also, according to the carrier, this is expected to increase the use of mobile search as well as content purchases.

"At Alltel, we are constantly striving to make the mobile experience simpler and more enjoyable," Wade McGill, senior vice president of product management for Alltel Wireless, said. "We have successfully used dedicated keys in the past to provide content we wanted to make readily available, including games and ringtones. It's been proven that the easier it is for subscribers to find applications, the more likely it is that they will be adopted."

JumpTap's search engine has been available on Alltel since September last year and is said to return the most relevant results from on and off the Alltel deck. The first handset to come with the search application pre-loaded will be the LG8600, while other such handsets will also come with the app and special button throughout the following months. All of the enabled handsets will feature a magnifying glass search icon on the key that will launch the Alltel search box when pressed.