America Online today announced that it is testing a suite of new AOL Mobile Search Services that give mobile users easy access to the AOL Search service, Pinpoint Shopping Search and AOL Yellow Pages. Now available as a public beta test, the AOL Mobile Search Services let users search the Web, comparison shop for products and access local listings from their mobile phones, smartphones and PDAs.
"At AOL, we are committed to providing people with easy access to the full range of information and services available on the Internet wherever they may go," said Himesh Bhise, vice president and general manager, AOL Mobile, America Online, Inc. "That's why we have 'Right-Sized the Internet' for mobile screens, giving users the power to search or shop for anything they need."
Mobile AOL Search Services are made possible through AOL's new partnership with InfoGin Ltd., a mobile technology provider based in Israel. InfoGin's proprietary mobile transcoding and content analysis technology automatically adapts Web pages that were designed for the desktop so that they can easily be viewed on today's browser-enabled mobile phones.
- The Mobile AOL Search service gives users the ability to search the Web using any word or phrase, just as they would on the desktop. It lets users access all Web content, not just the WAP-enabled pages accessible through other mobile browsers. Search results are automatically formatted to the user's mobile screen size and links are clickable, making mobile search actionable and useful.
- Pinpoint Shopping is AOL's new shopping search service that gives users a fast and easy way to find and compare features and prices for millions of products from thousands of online merchants. With mobile Pinpoint Shopping, users can compare prices, products and merchant reputations on the fly before they buy, even if they are already in the store.
- Mobile AOL Yellow Pages gives users the ability to not only search for local listings, but to take immediate action on their search results. With just one click, users can place a call to the local businesses they are seeking and instantly access a relevant MapQuest map with directions.
Availability: Mobile users who would like to join the AOL Mobile Search Services beta test should visit http://beta.aol.com for instructions. To see AOL's new Mobile Search Services from their Web-enabled phones, users should launch their mobile browser and type in mobile.aolsearch.com. Carrier charges may apply.
