iTouch ready to launch mobile information services

Wilson and Horton announces...

Information anywhere, anytime. That's the promise of wireless information provider iTouch New Zealand, which has joined forces with Vodafone New Zealand to deliver a range of real-time information directly to cellphones.

Starting next Monday, New Zealanders will have access to the latest news, sport, business, weather and entertainment information, wherever they may be.

iTouch New Zealand is part of iTouch International, and is majority owned by Independent News & Media PLC of Dublin which also owns New Zealand's premier media group Wilson & Horton. iTouch International is a global leader in the delivery of wireless data services to mobile customers. It collects packages and distributes real-time information on a range of topics and in a variety of formats. Its technology also allows transactions, such as share trading and ticket purchases, to be carried out.

iTouch New Zealand Managing Director David Sweet said Vodafone New Zealand was a natural business partner because it had the only fully digital (GSM) mobile telephone network in the country. Only GSM enables text messages to be sent as well as received.

Initially, much of iTouch's information would come from media assets of the Wilson & Horton group, such as the New Zealand Herald. However, suppliers of compatible information and services would be added and discussions with potential partners were underway, Mr Sweet said.

"The vast information assets and skills of Wilson & Horton, complemented by those of our business partners, will enable iTouch to offer an almost infinite array of services," he said.

The services being progressively introduced from Monday are in most cases new to this country. As well as real-time information, phone users can look forward to trading shares, buying tickets, betting and even having live tarot card readings.

Mr Sweet said there would be a large variety of services available within each information category. In the business area, for example, customers would be able to obtain, or have sent to them:

* real-time prices for shares, commodities, currencies and unit trusts,

* alerts of significant price movements, both general or specific,

* security trading,

* news headlines,

* implementation of investment transactions,

* portfolio performance summaries.

Delivery of such services will come in three formats, according to customer need. They are:

* Interactive Voice Recognition (IVR). Customers call special numbers from a landline or mobile phone to receive voice information.

* Short Message System (SMS). Cellphone users can send and receive text messages of up to 160 characters.

* Wireless Application Protocol (WAP). Web-like services and applications are shown on the screens of a new generation of cellphone being introduced to New Zealand.

IVR services will be available from next Monday, with SMS and WAP expected to be available from May.

Mr Sweet said New Zealanders were quickly adopting mobile data technologies because they recognised the benefit of receiving real-time information regardless of where they were. iTouch expected a large and rapidly growing market for its services.

"We aim to make iTouch a dominant provider of information services in New Zealand for voice and mobile telephones. I don't just want iTouch to offer the best service but to deliver the best quality information over the broadest imaginable range of subjects. Our growth forecasts are ambitious," he said.

iTouch International is based in London and is more than 70% owned by Independent News & Media PLC. iTouch has operations in South Africa, the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.