Looking to expand its service into the growing wireless arena, Excite@Home Tuesday entered an alliance with AirFlash Inc., a provider of mobile content and e-commerce, to jointly develop a wireless application service.
The high-speed cable Internet provider is building a wireless strategy to address the growing popularity of portable devices, specifically hand-held computers.
The agreement calls for Excite@Home (ATHM) to use AirFlash’s technology to offer wireless services. In addition to popular personal management tools like calendar services and address books, the companies will provide Excite community content including e-mail and voice mail, and e-commerce applications such as travel reservations, event ticketing, flowers and gifts and comparison shopping.
AirFlash will also provide users access to its proprietary local yellow pages directory. Financial terms were not disclosed.
“Our relationship with AirFlash will accelerate our ability to partner quickly and effectively with wireless carriers to bring the best of the Web to their customers,” said Joe Kraus, senior vice-president, content, Excite@Home.
“Mobile applications are key to delivering on the ‘All Device’ part of our vision, ‘All Band, All Device, All The Time’, and these steps continue our focus on providing our customers with the best personalized content wherever they are, by whatever means they choose.”
To expand on its wireless strategy, Excite@Home said it expects future partnerships with other wireless carriers to enable WML- and HDML-capable devices.