Verizon waives call costs to Haiti

Verizon says it is waiving all long-distance fees for calls to Haiti until the end of the month, reports NJ.com.

The communications giant's pledge to eliminate the fees extends to both wireless and landline customers. "We want to help alleviate some of the agony being experienced by our customers trying to reach loved ones in Haiti," says Susan Retta, a Verizon executive.

All calls made from a Verizon residential landline or a Verizon Wireless phone to Haiti will be free. Verizon and Verizon Wireless will also provide credit in future bill statements for long-distance charges for calls to Haiti.

Opera Software, the Norway-based developer of Web and mobile browser technology, has acquired AdMarvel, states Digital Media Wire.

The California-based AdMarvel says it aims "to make mobile advertising an open ecosystem, through better transparency of performance and simpler management of ad traffic to optimise revenue."

Opera claims nearly 50 million monthly users for its mobile Web browser. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Mobile application investment should grow significantly this year, according to a report from DM2PRO and Quattro Wireless, says eMarketer.

The spending on social applications will stagnate even though more marketers have already developed the applications. Less than one-half of marketers created either a mobile or social application in 2009, but most plan to invest in a mobile application this year.

Engagement was the top reason to choose either mobile or social as an application platform, but social sites were perceived as better for many top goals, including engagement, audience targeting, sharing and branding potential, and reach. Mobile scored higher on creative control and persistence.