Fast Search & Transferâ„¢ (OSEAX: FAST.OL) (FASTâ„¢), a leading developer of search technologies, and InfoSpace, Inc. (NASDAQ:INSP), a leading developer of mobile platform services, today announced a partnership to deliver a next-generation white label ASP mobile search service that will enable carriers to take more control over their content business models, and provide a richer mobile search experience to customers. The two companies, with more than 20 years combined experience in the search industry, have deployed more white label mobile search solutions worldwide than any other provider.
The strategic partnership for mobile search will offer carriers unsurpassed functionality, reliability, relevancy and performance in a mobile search solution, merging FAST's superior search software, relevancy algorithms, crawling and indexing technologies with InfoSpace's expertise in mobile infrastructure, metasearch, carrier integration and customer-facing ASP solutions. For carriers that increasingly need to position themselves to compete against new market entrants and capitalize on new revenue opportunities, the joint solution from FAST and InfoSpace will give them greater versatility in controlling the user experience across multiple platforms, and deploying business models that better promote their own brands and services.
--Å“Our ongoing partnerships on mobile search with leading carriers in North America and Europe highlight our expertise in meeting the needs of their customers,--Â said Steve Elfman, executive vice president of InfoSpace's mobile business unit. --Å“We're joining forces with FAST to further our integrated approach that will unlock the full potential of mobile search, including enhanced user discoverability and increased carrier revenue.--Â
By leveraging the industry's most advanced search platform and its relevancy and personalization capabilities, InfoSpace and FAST will help carriers realize the promise of mobile search with improvements in the discovery and recommendation of downloadable content, access to the best off-deck mobile web index and best-of-breed alternatives for mobile advertising. Moreover, the companies will collaborate to develop superior storefront and WAP index functionality.
--Å“Search is the most used and most profitable tool on the Internet. The FAST and InfoSpace partnership takes the search paradigm to mobile users to allow for controlling and monetizing each user interaction with a robust set of features, built on top of superior portal search and mobile web search,--Â said John Markus Lervik, CEO of FAST. --Å“Personalized results enhance user satisfaction, increase purchases, increase traffic, and drive advertising revenue or any other business model deemed important by the mobile carrier.--Â
The partnership between FAST and InfoSpace typifies the exciting growth opportunities in the mobile search market, including personalized mobile search and targeted advertising. By 2011, eMarketer predicts brands will be spending nearly $5 billion on advertising, up from $421 million in 2006.