American newspaper readers will soon be able to receive classifieds adverts via cellphone.
South African-based SMS-technology company Fontera has signed a licensing deal to sell a mobile classified alerts system to three major newspaper groups in the US, says Fontera technical director Grant Fleming.
The three papers in the deal are The Boston Globe, the Houston Chronicle and the Orange County Register, he says.
Simon Leps, Fontera`s marketing director, says the deal allows Fontera to gain a visible foothold in the US market. "We are looking to continue to grow into the US market as the possibilities and convenience of SMS systems catch on over there," he says.
The classified alert system is just one of the ways in which mobile phone systems can be used to leverage newspaper content in a manner more attuned to the emerging mobile consumer lifestyle, he adds.
The system is a new way for newspapers to reach readers, and provides another revenue stream, he says. In addition to the classified alerts, the technology used can deliver headlines, weather, and sports results, Leps says.
Local product
Leps says Fontera`s back-end technology and systems are developed in SA at its Cape Town research and development office.
Foreign deals represent significant advances for locally developed products, he says. We are very proud to be selling a South African made product, he says.
In a competitive environment like this, you have to have the very best at your disposal, and these deals are proving SA can produce among the best in the world, he says.
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