BOSTON, Jan. 18, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- O2 has today announced that it has partnered with Enpocket (www.enpocket.com) and Time Out to provide Time Out Dating, the leading mobile dating and chat application, to i-mode(r) consumers in the UK. The partnership will see Time Out Dating available beginning January 18, 2006, and will enable singles to search for dates and chat with other singles using their i-mode phones. The site will offer mobile consumers access to thousands of profiles of like-minded individuals on its i-mode site for a monthly recurring fee. As an official partner, Time Out Dating will be available through i-mode's intuitive interface from the main menu under Communities, Time Out Dating.
The partnership forms part of i-mode's unique content structure through which Enpocket will be able to quickly develop and deploy sophisticated, secure commercial content for consumers. It allows Enpocket and Time Out to expand revenue opportunities by selling content through O2's generous revenue sharing model. As a service, Time Out Dating will collect its revenue from subscription based services billed directly through the user's phone bill permitting Enpocket to concentrate on its core business. i-mode is a flexible business model that facilitates both subscription based and non-subscription based content.
Time Out Dating, built using the Enpocket Community Engine, is a mobile internet application available on WAP and now i-mode that enables subscribers to interact with each other through a colourful, branded interface. Users can search for friends or love matches based on age, location, interests and other criteria and then message each other, all through the Time Out Dating WAP site.
Grahame Riddell, Head of i-mode Marketing for O2 UK, said: "We are pleased to be working with Enpocket to offer its Time Out Dating application to our subscribers. Enpocket has managed to capture the benefits of i-mode and joined the i-mode ecosystem to offer its users a compelling mobile experience. O2 wants to make developing mobile content as attractive and as easy for businesses as possible. With the arrival of i-mode, O2 will redress this balance and the provision of mobile content in the UK easier and more cost effective. The building of a strong content community both on and off portal will be critical to the success of the services. Our research clearly shows that consumers are willing to look at and pay for mobile content, and expectations are tied closely to a user's experience of the Internet. Use will be driven by periods of downtime, communication applications, like e-mail, and situational driven use, when information is needed instantly. The overriding point for consumers is that convenience is key."
Mike Baker, President and CEO for Enpocket, said: "O2 has provided an environment where mobile communities can thrive. It's exciting to be involved in the first i-mode portal in the UK, where access to content is instant. In 2006, the Enpocket Content Engine and Enpocket Community Engine will continue to be used to build the next generation of applications, putting brands' content at their customers' fingertips."
About i-mode
The i-mode service, exclusively from O2, marks a departure from the closed "walled-garden" approach to content provision to an open environment, encouraging community building and innovative content services. It is easier for content partners to develop commercially viable, customer-focused services with a low incremental cost model. i-mode sites can be built for less than $10K, reducing the immediate pressure for subscription revenues, and encouraging a diverse range of original services and content.
i-mode builds on O2's market-leading position in the provision of mobile messaging and content services. With one in three text messages in the UK sent across the O2 network and Europe's most successful online mobile operation, nearly 22 per cent of the group's service revenues now derive from data. The addition of the i-mode capability to O2's service portfolio in the medium term will complement the highly successful O2 Active WAP portal which now has well over 3 million customers and represents more than 50 per cent of UK mobile internet traffic.
About O2
O2 is a leading provider of mobile services to consumers and businesses in the UK. It is the leader in non-voice services, including text, media messaging, games, music and video, as well as always on data connections via GPRS, 3G and WLAN. Each month O2's 15 million plus customers send more than three quarters of a billion text messages. O2 (UK) Ltd is a subsidiary of O2 plc, which also owns O2 branded mobile operators in Ireland and Germany as well as the Airwave O2 emergency services network in the UK.
"i-mode" and the i-mode logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of NTT DoCoMo, Inc. in Japan and other countries.
About Enpocket
Enpocket is a leading global mobile media company serving organizations seeking to leverage mobile technology to foster and maintain individual relationships with consumers. Enpocket creates, delivers and optimizes consumer entertainment and marketing programs for mobile phones. Our work is differentiated by our proprietary multi-format delivery engines, advanced analytics solutions and careful attention to user experience.
Enpocket has created hundreds of successful mobile programs for clients that include Vodafone, Sprint, Verizon, Airtel, Singtel, Nokia, Samsung, Panasonic, Siemens, Trinity Mirror, TNT, Chrysalis, Internet Broadcast Systems, Time Out, Match.com, Pepsi and Nike. Enpocket has offices in Boston, London, and Singapore. To learn more see www.enpocket.com.