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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
McLEAN, VA and Palo Alto, CA ? Gannett today said it has made a minority investment in 4INFO, a Palo Alto, CA, company offering a comprehensive suite of mobile search services. Gannett also has entered into a marketing and distribution agreement with 4INFO, the companies said. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Collaboration between the companies will begin with USA TODAY and be introduced to other Gannett newspaper and broadcast operations, including Captivate Network. This will include promotion of 4INFO?s mobile real-time information such as sports scores and weather within relevant sections of USA TODAY.
4INFO?s primary service allows a person to use their cell phone to send a text message search to the company?s 5 digit number (44636). This free service then replies with a personalized answer within seconds. People can search for information they need while on the go, including local business listings, sports scores, fantasy statistics, weather forecasts, movie times and more. 4INFO will continue to operate as a stand-alone company managed by 4INFO?s executive team.
?Mobile search is rapidly becoming a logical choice for consumers who want to have instant access to the information they need, whenever they need it,? said Jack Williams, president of Gannett Digital. ?4INFO is the leader in mobile search and has developed a powerful technology platform that delivers instant, accurate results to users while keeping the experience intuitive and rewarding. Our investment and marketing arrangement is an excellent way to extend Gannett?s multi-platform approach to providing content to our customers.?
?Gannett?s range of operations and access to customers aligns nicely with our mission as 4INFO becomes the first, best choice for people seeking personalized, affordable and relevant information on their cell phones,? said Pankaj Shah, CEO of 4INFO. ?Bringing aboard a strategic partner with the heft of Gannett, as well as its national distribution capability, is a fabulous step for us. Constant touch with consumers via Gannett, and the resulting huge mobile audience, means high value for advertisers and other partners.? About 4INFO
4INFO, Inc. (www.4INFO.net), the leading Mobile Search service, enables the search and delivery of real-time information to a mobile device. 4INFO?s comprehensive suite of Mobile services (Text Message Search to 44636, Mobile Web Search, Text Alerts and the company?s Website) provides access to search and alerts for business listings, sports scores, fantasy sports stats, weather, flight information, movie times, horoscopes, hotspot locations, news, stock quotes, and mobile downloads. The services are available free of charge to users on all major U.S. carriers. 4INFO is headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif. About Gannett Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) is a leading international news and information company that publishes 91 daily newspapers in the USA, including USA TODAY, the nation's largest-selling daily newspaper. The company also owns more than 1,000 non-daily publications in the USA and USA WEEKEND, a weekly newspaper magazine. Gannett subsidiary Newsquest is the United Kingdom?s second largest regional newspaper company. Newsquest publishes more than 300 titles, including 17 daily newspapers, and a network of prize-winning Web sites. Gannett also operates 21 television stations in the United States and is an Internet leader with sites sponsored by its TV stations and newspapers including USATODAY.com, one of the most popular news sites on the Web. Gannett inquiries: 4INFO inquiries: |
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