Sonera zed Reinforces US Strategy With Several Recent Content Partner Alliances; New Partners Include Fodors.com, Vicinity, zagat.com and 1-800-TAXICAB
CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 27, 2000--Sonera zed u.s., inc., announced today at PCIA GlobalXChange, booth no. 3478, that it has entered into several key strategic alliances which will enable zed to provide compelling mobile specific applications for zed users.
Sonera zed, a subsidiary of Sonera Corporation (Nasdaq:SNRA), is a pioneer in global personalized intelligent services for wireless devices combining the best features of mobile communications and the Internet.
The four content partners added today include Fodors.com, the premier, award-winning online travel information planning site; Vicinity, the leading provider of infrastructure services for the Global 2000 on Internet and wireless platforms; zagat.com, the Web's premiere provider of consumer survey-based dining; and, 1-800-TAXICAB, the foremost provider of taxi cab referral services across North America.
"These agreements represent our continuous commitment to provide zed users with the types of services that will make their lives easier and more enjoyable," said Ilkka Aura, VP of Product and Strategy for Sonera zed u.s., inc. "By partnering with the leaders in their respective fields, we can develop unparalleled applications for the wireless environment."
Zed Alliances
Fodors.com will enable zed users to find up-to-date reviews
and information about hotels in 1,390 cities throughout the
United States. Designed for people on the move, Fodors.com
will provide quick access and save valuable time by putting
detailed hotel information and planning tools in the zed users
hand from anywhere in the world.
Vicinity BrandFinder(TM) and MapBlast!(R) wireless
applications, to be offered with zed's services, will allow
users to access the most accurate, up-to-date location
information on their favorite brands, merchants and service
providers, as well as find driving directions to and from
virtually anywhere in the United States.
zagat.com will offer zed users access to its world-renowned
ratings and restaurant reviews directly from their wireless
phones. zagat.com will help zed users find the best choice of
restaurants according to their personal needs, allowing them
to search by location, cuisine and rating.
zed will be providing direct links to the 1-800-TAXICAB
nationwide taxicab network so that zed users will be able to
quickly and easily order a cab without having to navigate
through a yellow-pages search. With the touch of a button, zed
users can be patched through to a quality, local taxicab
company to get their ride right away.
About Sonera zed
zed is a global pioneer in personalized intelligent services for wireless devices combining the best features of mobile communications and the Internet. zed was conceived, designed and built to support and promote true mobility in both consumer and corporate environments. The range of zed services turns the wireless device into a communications, information and mobile commerce tool. Currently zed services are available in WAP and SMS environments, with the ability to expand the services into future technologies, GPRS and UMTS. At the end of June 2000, zed had over 700,000 monthly users out of Sonera's 2.2 million GSM customers in Finland. Of these active zed customers, 30% had registered at zed's Finnish website in order to personalize their services. Sonera zed ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sonera Corporation (HEX: SRA, NASDAQ: SNRA, www.sonera.com), an international forerunner in mobile communications as well as mobile and Internet based services and applications. zed's US headquarters are in Boston, MA, with global headquarters in the UK. More information on zed can be found at zed.com.
About Fodors.com
Fodors.com, the premier online travel information planning site, derives its editorial content from Fodor's Travel Publications, including the best-selling Gold Guide series, comprehensive guides to top destinations worldwide. Fodor's LLC is a division of Random House, Inc., whose parent company is Bertelsmann AG, one of the world's largest media companies. Fodors.com is located in New York City and web users can access the site at fodors.com.
About Vicinity
Vicinity Corporation (Nasdaq: VCNT) is the leading provider of infrastructure services for the Global 2000 on Internet and wireless platforms.
About Zagat Survey
Zagat Survey is the world's premier provider of consumer survey-based dining, lodging and leisure information. Over 125,000 voters participate in Zagat's annual Surveys. Zagat offers content in book form, on the Internet at www.zagat.com, on Palm Pilot OS and on mobile phones at mobile.zagat.com. Besides restaurant guides available in 45 major markets, Zagat offers surveys covering airlines, car rental companies, hotels, resorts, spas, nightclubs, and a host of other entertainment and shopping resources. Zagat Survey is a privately held corporation founded by Tim and Nina Zagat in 1979, and backed by leading investors such as General Atlantic Partners; Kleiner, Perkins Caufield & Byers; and Allen & Company. For more information, visit zagat.com.
About 1-800-TAXICAB
1-800-TAXICAB, headquartered in Los Angeles, California, provides passengers across North America with immediate access to ground transportation vehicles through its easy-to-remember toll-free number, web portal, and digitally connected wireless devices. For more information, visit 1800taxicab.com.
CONTACT: Hill and Knowlton, Inc.
Raymond Yeung/Meghan Butler, 212/885-0300
ryeung@hillandknowlton.com
or
Sonera zed u.s. inc.
Eija Hautaniemi, 877/947-4933
eija.hautaniemi@sonera.com
nasdaq.com
/Joar |
