UpSNAP! Launches Free 411 Services for Mobile Consumers with Text-enabled Phones
New SMS service introduces a no-cost alternative to rising cellular 411 charges;
Will be available to any text-enabled phone, more than 160 million in U.S. |
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San Francisco - October 20, 2004:
UpSNAP!™, the leading provider of mobile text-driven services, announced today the launch of its free 411 directory service for consumers with text-enabled phones. For the first time, mobile consumers utilizing SMS – short message service, also known as text messaging – can obtain 411 information directly from a cell phone without paying the typical $1.30 per look-up charged by wireless carriers. UpSNAP!'s 411 service is absolutely free, apart from text messaging costs determined by the consumer's wireless plan. |
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| Using text messaging from a mobile phone, consumers simply type in the name and location of the listing they want - by city, zip code, area code or airport code. In less than 10 seconds the number is sent directly to the consumer through a text message reply. If there are too many choices, or the search was not specific enough, a menu item will appear asking the user to re-define the name or other criteria. The number can then be conveniently stored for future reference. |
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| "UpSNAP! is bridging the gap between the Internet and cellular phones," said Tony Philipp, President and CEO of UpSNAP!. "It sounds like a simple concept, but it truly has never been done before in a practical, useful way. Directory information is available for free on the Web, yet until now mobile users have had to pay to find merchants they want to contact. Simply put, UpSNAP! is making it easy for consumers on the go to quickly find the information they want for free." |
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| No registration or complicated set-up or installation is required for UpSNAP!'s free 411 service, and the service works with all US carriers. Consumers can visit the web site http://www.upsnap.com and follow simple instructions to send a text message to their phone. Once the service is activated, consumers can use the free 411 anywhere in the United States. |
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| At the heart of UpSNAP!'s free 411 service is a patented, text-based command interface for search and mobile applications that are custom designed for mobile usage and current developments in handset-technologies. The U.S. accounts for more than 160 million mobile consumers and 2.5 billion SMS messages sent each month, making the cell phone by far the most personal communication device for consumers and the most coveted media platform for advertisers, according to the Mobile Marketing Association. UpSNAP! plans to introduce many new features, applications and enhanced services over the next several months. |
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About UpSNAP!
UpSNAP! is the leading provider of mobile text-driven services. The company is dedicated to bridging the gap between the Internet and cell phones with real solutions that leverage the built-in SMS capabilities of the more than 160 million text-enabled cell phones in the U.S. UpSNAP!'s patent-pending technology combines unique wireless search and natural language commands to deliver premium services to mobile phones. The company has headquarters in San Francisco, Calif. For more information about UpSNAP! visit www.upsnap.com. |
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PR Contact
Paulina Piekarski
Connors Communications
212.798.1407
paulina@connors.com |
