Ticketmaster Online-Citysearch
Inc.
signed a deal with Verizon Wireless to offer the
latter’s mobile Web customers access to local information, transactions and
ticketmaster.com tickets via their wireless handset.
Included in the offerings to customers will be Ticketmaster
Online-Citysearch’s Local Intelligence service, a combination of local
information and editorial recommendations with related transaction
capability. Financial arrangements were not disclosed.
Verizon Wireless launched its nationwide Mobile Web service today, running on
its
coast-to-coast CDMA network.
In addition to searching, selecting and purchasing tickets for a variety of
ticketmaster.com and citysearch.com arts, family, music and sporting events,
the Local Intelligence function will soon offer Verizon Wireless Mobile Web
customers other transaction functionality, including restaurant
reservations.
“Through ticketmaster.com and our network of citysearch.com guides, we help
people seek out preferred local activities and events and then provide them
the opportunity to act on these choices,” said Paul LaFontaine, vice
president of corporate development at Ticketmaster Online-Citysearch.
Verizon Wireless claims to be the largest wireless communications provider in
the
U.S. with more than 25 million wireless voice and data customers and nearly
4 million paging customers. It was formed by the combination of the U.S.
wireless businesses of Bell Atlantic Corp., Vodafone AirTouch Plc and GTE
Corp.