14 DAY TRIAL // InfoSpace announced a partnership with Virgin Mobile to provide the wireless carrier with a complete suite of mobile platform services, including the addition of a customized, integrated mobile search solution. As a result of the deal, Virgin Mobile will be able to offer its customers the ability to search the Internet, WAP sites and Virgin Mobile's own portal and storefront that provides access to ringtones, games and other premium content.
InfoSpace's mobile search solution for Virgin Mobile will reflect the company's recent partnerships with FAST Search & Transfer, a developer of search technologies and InfoGin, a provider of Web-to-mobile content adaptation technology. Virgin Mobile will benefit from a comprehensive mobile search solution that will combine FAST's advanced search software, relevancy algorithms, crawling and indexing technologies with InfoGin's Web-to-mobile content adaptation technology. InfoSpace's metasearch technology combines results from several sources including Storefronts, WAP and Web indexing, as well as Portal Search, allowing users to search for any content or information, regardless of its origin or format, using a single search box.
"If the impact of the Internet on our daily lives, as well as the global economy, has taught the mobile world anything, it is that it's no longer about searching for the next killer application - search itself is the killer application," said Nick White, Head of Digital Services and NPD at Virgin Mobile. "Virgin mobile is a firm believer that the there should be no limit to the content available for our users - from the latest celeb gossip to searches for entertainment in the local area or even the most cryptic piece of trivia - it must be available to everyone, everywhere. We are very pleased to extend our relationship with InfoSpace into this exciting new area."
InfoSpace already provides mobile search services to many operators, including AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel, which introduced the first cellular location-based search service.