NZ Herald Goes Mobile

NZ Herald Goes Mobile
Latest news now on your mobile phone

From today you can get the latest news from the NZ Herald on your mobile.

While nzherald.co.nz is the first major local publisher to go mobile, it’s a big trend overseas with media heavyweights such as CNN, the BBC and The Financial Times seriously in to mobile publishing.

There are about four million mobile phones in New Zealand and around 3,000 different types of handset, most of which will be able to access nzherald.co.nz.

Snakk Media and The Hyperfactory, New Zealand businesses associated with former 42 BELOW entrepreneur Geoff Ross, have designed and built the site for the Herald.

“From today, no matter where you are – Great Barrier on your boat, or overseas – as long as you’ve got a mobile signal you’ll be able to get your local news, sport and business fix on your mobile phone,” Mr Ross says.

He says the New Zealand publisher’s move is likely to prove a tipping point for other media in New Zealand to go mobile. “The news on mobile is a big draw-card for advertisers and media organisations if they can get their messages across to people while they are on the move.”

The nzherald.co.nz mobile site launches with national and international news, business, sport, technology and entertainment news. National weather along with Auckland traffic updates, with more sections to come in the near future.

“This is another step in nzherald’s continuing leadership in the market,” says Spencer Bailey, general manager of APN Online, parent company of nzherald. “We are continually working to provide innovative ways for people to access their news, extend consumer choice and reach of the site.

“Following our launch of a dedicated site for iPhone and other smart phones in July 2008 we wanted to extend our coverage to all mobile handsets in New Zealand. To do this we needed to work with a quality partner and the logical choice was Snakk and The Hyperfactory.”

You can access the service simply by texting the keyword NZHERALD to 4443, or you can go the browser on your phone and type in nzherald.co.nz. The site recognises you’ve come in from mobile. The nzherald.co.nz website also has a “how to” guide.

The Hyperfactory and Snakk successfully run a similar model in markets such as Hong Kong where they built the South China Morning Post site and manage the advertising sales on it.

ENDS

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