Weathernews and 4INFO Partner to Bring Searchable Real-time Weather Content to Mobile Phones
SAN FRANCISCO (November 21, 2005) – Weathernews (www.weathernews.com), the world's most experienced and trusted provider of mobile weather content and services, and 4INFO Inc., the leading SMS and WAP-enabled mobile search service, announced a partnership to provide weather, news and content to 4INFO's mobile search platforms. As part of 4INFO's services, cell phone users can access real time weather information and forecasts via text messaging (to 44636), mobile browser (http://wap.4INFO.net), or email (search@4INFO.net) and create weather alerts for their favorite city or zip code. In addition, users of the 4INFO service will also have the opportunity to subscribe and download the full Weathernews application which offers detailed weather information for over 60,000 locations worldwide, color radar, seven-day forecasts, city images with sky conditions, National Weather Service advisories, airport weather and a vacation planner.
4INFO users may create SMS weather alerts with Weathernews data. For example, to create an alert that delivers the weather for a particular city, a user simply enters "weather Chicago" and selects days of the week and time of day from the delivery options, such as every weekday at 8:00 a.m. Then, each day at that time, the five-day forecast for Chicago will be delivered to their cell phone.
"4INFO is excited about enabling our customers to access reliable, real-time weather news from their mobile phones," says Rob Atherton, vice president of corporate and business development at 4INFO Inc. "By partnering with the industry leader, we can continue to provide our customers with the accurate, timely results they've come to associate with 4INFO."
"Mobile search is clearly an important new category in the mobile arena and 4INFO is helping set the high standard for mobile search with their easy to use functionality," explains Daniel Scalisi, vice president of Media Services for Weathernews Americas Inc. "Our partnership with 4INFO is a natural fit for us as we seek to grow our brand imprint and leverage a targeted audience that is both wireless-savvy and keenly interested in the power of direct and anytime mobile weather on their phone."
4INFO Inc. (www.4INFO.net), is a whole new way of locating information and downloads from a mobile device. As the leading Mobile Search service, 4INFO provides the connection between users and the digital world of entertainment, directory, and real-time information. 4INFO delivers timely and concise results that are accurate, relevant, interactive, and personalized. 4INFO's suite of Mobile Search services (Text Message Search to 44636, Email Search with search@4INFO.net, Mobile Web at http://wap.4INFO.net, and the Web site http://www.4INFO.net) easily replaces the traditional means to locating information while on the go by allowing users to query business listings, sports scores, fantasy sports stats, weather, flight information, movie times, horoscopes, hotspot locations, stock quotes, and also search for mobile downloads.
4INFO's core Mobile Search services are available to users on all major U.S. carriers without registration or additional charges. 4INFO's investment partners include U.S. Venture Partners and Draper Fisher Jurvetson. 4INFO is headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif.
Weathernews Americas Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Weathernews, Inc. Based in Japan, Weathernews, Inc. is the world's largest, publicly-traded, full-service weather company (TSE#1, 4825). A global organization with 37 offices in 14 countries, Weathernews delivers customized, risk communication services to businesses and individuals whose lives or livelihoods are affected by the weather. With over 12,000 business customers and 1.5 million wireless subscribers worldwide, the company consistently evaluates and evolves existing applications for weather information while exploring additional markets and industries which would benefit operationally and financially from specific weather information and delivery methods. Currently, Weathernews delivers weather information, analysis and risk communication services to some of the largest companies in agriculture, aviation, energy, marine, media, offshore oil and retail. For more information, go to www.weathernews.com; for more information about Weathernews’ mobile services, go to www.weathernow.com.
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