MobileAria and go2 Announce Partnership To Deliver Location-Based Services to the Mobile Consumer
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--May 9, 2001--Partnership Allows MobileAria to Provide the Most Widely Distributed
Location-based Directory and Information Service to Motorists
MobileAria, the leading developer of wireless multimedia services for the automobile, and go2(R), the world's first location-based directory and information services platform for users of Web-enabled wireless devices, today jointly announced a partnership to provide location-sensitive information and directory services to motorists.
The partnership will enable the drivers and passengers of millions of vehicles to find the closest stores, products, brands and services they need, no matter where they are, using MobileAria's multimedia services platform.
Through the partnership, subscribers to MobileAria's service will be able to use go2 for location-based information, including the ability to find the nearest gas stations, hotels, restaurants or banks. The motorist will simply say the go2 keyword, company brand, or generic category (e.g. - go2DI, Day's Inn, or hotels), and go2 will provide a list of the closest hotels and deliver the information using MobileAria's voice-activated service platform. In addition, MobileAria's users will be able to utilize go2 listings on their mobile devices when not in their vehicles.
"Our partnership with go2 is a major step towards building the full range of personalized information and services that we will offer to the consumer when we launch our service platform later this year," said Michael Orr, recently appointed CEO of MobileAria. "We have set out to deliver prime content, along with comprehensive and intuitive m-commerce capabilities, to our in-vehicle users; and a partnership with a first-class wireless information provider like go2 helps us achieve this goal."
MobileAria is creating an open-service platform for delivering wireless Internet content and applications uniquely integrated for the in-vehicle environment. The service will be delivered through a hands-free, voice-activated interface that will enable users to increase their productivity by providing access to personal information, wireless Internet access to applications like email (including voice tag email response), news, location-sensitive information, directory services, weather, stock quotes, flight information, directions/routing and traffic information, in a non-distracting, hands-on-the-wheel, eyes-on-the-road manner. MobileAria's service will address the voice and data automotive service market, which is expected to grow to $33 billion by 2010 (UBS Warburg).
"go2's distribution on virtually every major wireless carrier in North America, will be greatly enhanced through our partnership with MobileAria," said go2 president and CEO Lee Hancock. "MobileAria's automotive aftermarket product channel places go2's location-based services in the car navigation market two years before that market is built out, and it furthers our objective of delivering the best location based information to users of all portable devices."
go2 is designed to help consumers save time and money in their search for products and services by leveraging the power of the Internet through mobile devices. go2's award-winning suite of location-based directory products and information services, including addresses, turn-by-turn directions and one-click calling, is available online and through Web-enabled mobile devices, and is featured on virtually all major North American carriers including AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, Cingular and Nextel. With a platform that combines basic information about 16 million business locations across America, with more precise and comprehensive real-time information about all of the locations of name brand national customers like Howard Johnsons, Coca-Cola, Jiffy Lube, and Ramada, go2-enabled services provide the most comprehensive and accurate location-based information available to partners and users.
About MobileAria
MobileAria is creating an open service platform for delivering wireless content and applications uniquely integrated for the in-vehicle environment. MobileAria services will be delivered through a hands-free, voice-activated interface that will enable the user to manage their time and information simply in a non-distracting manner. Investors include Delphi Automotive Systems , Palm, Inc. and Mayfield Fund. MobileAria is based in Silicon Valley. For additional information go to www.MobileAria.com.
About go2 Systems Inc.
A privately held company, based in Irvine, Calif., go2(R) launched the first location-based directory available over the wireless Web in December 1999 and today is the most widely distributed location-based directory and information services platform for users of Web-enabled wireless devices. The company's patented location referencing technology supports go2's ability to provide location-based information for over 16 million real-world locations in the U.S. and serves as a cross-platform location interface with all Web-enabled wireless systems, applications and devices, including cell phones, PDAs, and pagers. go2 facilitates navigation and commerce by allowing users to save time and money by finding the closest products and services, wherever they are. Visit www.go2.com or any of the hundreds of topic- and brand-specific go2 Web sites in the "go2____.com" format.