Furthering its strategy to move into the wireless arena, Ticketmaster
Online-Citysearch Inc.signed a deal with wireless
communications company Nextel Communications Inc.to offer Nextel Online customers TMCS’ content and
transactions via wireless handsets.
TMCS last July announced a
similar deal with AT&T Digital PocketNet for its wireless customers and with
Verizon Wireless Mobile Web for its customers.
The new agreement calls for Nextel, with more than five million wireless
subscribers,
to use TMCS’ Local Intelligence, a mobile application that provides a
combination of local information and editorial recommendations with related
transaction capabilities.
Financial arrangements were not disclosed.
Nextel Online customers will be able to use their Internet-enabled wireless
phones to purchase tickets to events at more than 3,750 venues across the
country. Plans also call for TMCS’ Local Intelligence feature to be expanded
to offer Nextel’s wireless Internet customers other transaction
functionality, including restaurant reservations, in the future.
“The addition of Ticketmaster Online-Citysearch’s original content and
transaction functionality enhances our Nextel Online Wireless Internet
service offering by providing our customers with a highly personalized way to
bring their wireless phones and the Internet together,” said Greg Santoro,
vice president for Web-based services at Nextel.
TMCS just announced its mobile service effort last May. The company has said
it intends to offer mobile users access a mix of local content, ticketing and
reservations anytime, anywhere, on personal digital assistants, phones,
pagers and voice portals.
The company formed a Mobile Alliance Partner Program designed to allow
members to share resources for building, marketing and deploying products and
services for mobile devices. Initial partners included AvantGo, Ericsson,
NeoPoint, Nokia, OmniSky, Palm Computing, Phone.com and VoiceStream.