SARATOGA, Calif. - March 12, 2001 - | AirFlash, Inc., the premier development platform provider for building location-based wireless applications, today announced that KnightRidder.com, founder of Real Cities, the premier nationwide network of city and regional Web sites, has chosen AirFlashÅ to help develop its mobile channels for WAP handsets and other wireless devices, based on the AirFlash SmartZoneÅ development platform.
AirFlash will work with KnightRidder.com to develop applications for deployment on the AT&T; Digital PocketNet service. The applications will feature local news, sports and entertainment content from the Real Cities Network.
Today's announcement also includes an agreement to jointly market AirFlash's "I'm Free" application, a wireless service featuring local entertainment and directory information that provides a 'night out' planner for mobile users, including an itinerary for tracking plans and sharing information with others.
"In addressing the growing needs of mobile users, we're committed to offering services that enable KnightRidder.com users to quickly search for location-sensitive data, contact friends or colleagues, purchase movie tickets, make dinner reservations and arrange local transportation," said Lisa Romano, vice president of Marketing and Business Development for KnightRidder.com. "We're excited about working with the AirFlash team because we know they can deliver the technical and psychographic requirements for developing next-generation services that are attractive to 'on-the-go' mobile users."
The two companies also plan to provide custom applications for individual mobile carriers interested in using specific local content to drive customer usage and deepen customer loyalty.
"We are delighted that KnightRidder.com chose AirFlash to bring the Real Cities Network to WAP devices," said J.F. Sullivan, vice president of Marketing and Business Development for AirFlash. "This is a prime example of strategic implementation of our SmartZone platform. It can launch any content KnightRidder.com acquires and its modular architecture easily expands to serve Real Cities' growth to other top U.S. markets."
AirFlash designs, builds and deploys a comprehensive family of software solutions, collectively called SmartZone. AirFlash SmartZone products enable wireless carriers and portals to offer location-based services (LBS) to their mobile customers. Products range from the LBS-fortified SmartZone development platform for building custom applications, to an immediately deployable solution that includes the SmartZone platform and pre-packaged applications for fastest time to market.
About AirFlash
AirFlash empowers mobile carriers and portals with products for building location-based wireless services, including SmartZone platform and applications. Founded in July 1998 by industry pioneer Rama Aysola, AirFlash is a privately held company based in Saratoga, Calif., with offices in the United Kingdom, Germany and France and funding from investors Inktomi Corp., Bay Partners, Band of Angels, PTI, Trio Investments and Pitch Johnson/Asset Management Company. AirFlash also has a strategic alliance with Inktomi to enable advanced m-commerce and search capabilities tailored for mobile users. For more information, visit www.airflash.com.
About KnightRidder.com
KnightRidder.com, a leader in local information and services on the Web, is founder of the Real Cities network and is the parent of SiliconValley.com. Creating Web sites that reach people where they live, KnightRidder.com specializes in comprehensive online local and regional city sites, as well as a series of specialty Web sites. Examples of national and international sites serving targeted communities of interest include SiliconValley.com, ThatsRacin.com and Auto.com, among others. Real Cities sites offer local information in a variety of categories including breaking news, business, travel, health, sports, traffic updates, shopping, classifieds, entertainment, community publishing and live interviews and commentary. Through a partnership with Palm Computing, PDA users have access to Real Cities' local information. Among Real Cities' member Web sites are BayArea.com, Cincinow.com, DFW.com, Indy.com, KansasCity.com, Kentucky.com, Miami.com, Philly.com, PittsburghFirst.com, PhoenixAZ.com, Charlotte.com, TwinCities.com and NorthJersey.com. KnightRidder.com, the Internet subsidiary of Knight Ridder (NYSE:KRI), develops and manages its Internet properties and is headquartered in San Jose, California.
Press Contacts:
Marcy Dockery, AirFlash, Inc., 408-517-2200, marcy@airflash.com
Cynthia Mallen Funnell, KnightRidder.com, 408-938-6076, cfunnell@knightridder.com
Bill Maxfield, PRx, Inc. for KnightRidder.com, 408-350-0796, bill_maxfield@prxinc.com
AirFlash and SmartZone are trademarks of AirFlash, Inc. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
AirFlash will work with KnightRidder.com to develop applications for deployment on the AT&T; Digital PocketNet service. The applications will feature local news, sports and entertainment content from the Real Cities Network.
Today's announcement also includes an agreement to jointly market AirFlash's "I'm Free" application, a wireless service featuring local entertainment and directory information that provides a 'night out' planner for mobile users, including an itinerary for tracking plans and sharing information with others.
"In addressing the growing needs of mobile users, we're committed to offering services that enable KnightRidder.com users to quickly search for location-sensitive data, contact friends or colleagues, purchase movie tickets, make dinner reservations and arrange local transportation," said Lisa Romano, vice president of Marketing and Business Development for KnightRidder.com. "We're excited about working with the AirFlash team because we know they can deliver the technical and psychographic requirements for developing next-generation services that are attractive to 'on-the-go' mobile users."
The two companies also plan to provide custom applications for individual mobile carriers interested in using specific local content to drive customer usage and deepen customer loyalty.
"We are delighted that KnightRidder.com chose AirFlash to bring the Real Cities Network to WAP devices," said J.F. Sullivan, vice president of Marketing and Business Development for AirFlash. "This is a prime example of strategic implementation of our SmartZone platform. It can launch any content KnightRidder.com acquires and its modular architecture easily expands to serve Real Cities' growth to other top U.S. markets."
AirFlash designs, builds and deploys a comprehensive family of software solutions, collectively called SmartZone. AirFlash SmartZone products enable wireless carriers and portals to offer location-based services (LBS) to their mobile customers. Products range from the LBS-fortified SmartZone development platform for building custom applications, to an immediately deployable solution that includes the SmartZone platform and pre-packaged applications for fastest time to market.
About AirFlash
AirFlash empowers mobile carriers and portals with products for building location-based wireless services, including SmartZone platform and applications. Founded in July 1998 by industry pioneer Rama Aysola, AirFlash is a privately held company based in Saratoga, Calif., with offices in the United Kingdom, Germany and France and funding from investors Inktomi Corp., Bay Partners, Band of Angels, PTI, Trio Investments and Pitch Johnson/Asset Management Company. AirFlash also has a strategic alliance with Inktomi to enable advanced m-commerce and search capabilities tailored for mobile users. For more information, visit www.airflash.com.
About KnightRidder.com
KnightRidder.com, a leader in local information and services on the Web, is founder of the Real Cities network and is the parent of SiliconValley.com. Creating Web sites that reach people where they live, KnightRidder.com specializes in comprehensive online local and regional city sites, as well as a series of specialty Web sites. Examples of national and international sites serving targeted communities of interest include SiliconValley.com, ThatsRacin.com and Auto.com, among others. Real Cities sites offer local information in a variety of categories including breaking news, business, travel, health, sports, traffic updates, shopping, classifieds, entertainment, community publishing and live interviews and commentary. Through a partnership with Palm Computing, PDA users have access to Real Cities' local information. Among Real Cities' member Web sites are BayArea.com, Cincinow.com, DFW.com, Indy.com, KansasCity.com, Kentucky.com, Miami.com, Philly.com, PittsburghFirst.com, PhoenixAZ.com, Charlotte.com, TwinCities.com and NorthJersey.com. KnightRidder.com, the Internet subsidiary of Knight Ridder (NYSE:KRI), develops and manages its Internet properties and is headquartered in San Jose, California.
Press Contacts:
Marcy Dockery, AirFlash, Inc., 408-517-2200, marcy@airflash.com
Cynthia Mallen Funnell, KnightRidder.com, 408-938-6076, cfunnell@knightridder.com
Bill Maxfield, PRx, Inc. for KnightRidder.com, 408-350-0796, bill_maxfield@prxinc.com
AirFlash and SmartZone are trademarks of AirFlash, Inc. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
