Mobile Newspapers hits the Streets

April 25, 2007

CellSigns Inc, a division of QWASI, announces new Multi-Medium Mobile Publishing Solution for Newspapers

PHILADELPHIA, April 26, 2007 – Newspapers are the number one local media brand in spite of eroding circulation over the last decade. To remain the leading local destination, newspapers are investing in mobile technology to expand their reach and footprint. CellSigns, Inc. announced the industry’s first mobile platform, Cellifieds multi-medium mobile solution for Newspapers at NEXPO, the Newspaper Association of America annual trade show in Orlando.

Cellifieds bridges the offline, online and mobile channels. With a cell phone, users can shop the local classifieds for a car, browse pictures and information on homes for sale, or even sign up for alerts and breaking news. The customer can also click on the newspaper website and send a news story, coupon or ad to their cell phone with send-to-phone. “Timing is critical for newspapers when delivering mobile content to consumers,” said David Geipel, President CellSigns, Inc. “Our platform mobilizes content and puts it in the hands of consumers – while they are on the go, when and how they want it.”

CellSigns has been powering mobile solutions in other industries including real estate for over three years, but isn’t new to newspapers. “It’s been exciting working with newspapers for the last two years building their mobile strategy. Our company has quickly responded with a multi-modal approach that delivers the consumer experience across various mobile phones and technologies including SMS (text messaging) and WAP (mobile internet),” says Mark Ford, CEO CellSigns, Inc. The newspaper industry is in the midst of change as Google and Yahoo attempt to own the local mobile market place. Newspapers are reacting by developing a mobile strategy to build their mobile brand. “The papers are quickly learning they need to secure their branded short code for their market and start building an audience,” adds Ford.

The newspaper industry is in the midst of rebranding themselves as the complete local media source. In the fall of 2006 the Palm Beach Post launched Cellifieds mobile classifieds and made their ads and classifieds available via a cell phone using their short code (72727). They recently announced a mobile search that allows customers to search the paper via SMS/text messaging and WAP. With the Cellifieds mobile newspaper platform, the Post won the coveted NAA PRESSTIME magazine 2007 Innovative Operations Award for Mobile Ads on Saturday, April 21, 2007 at the NAA NEXPO conference. “Newspapers today see mobile as the next channel, but it needs to be stressed that timing is critical for them to get their content into the hands of their consumer before someone else does,” add Geipel.

ABOUT CELLSIGNS

CellSigns (www.cellsigns.com) is a leading mobile applications company providing interactive solutions for businesses via text messaging, SMS, MMS and WAP. Supported by every major wireless carrier and working on over 98% of all cell phones, the company offers Cellifieds (mobile classifieds), private label mobile search tools, click-to-chat/live chat, click-to-text, Mobile IM (MIM) applications, customized alerting and the only interactive property marketing service for real estate. The company has won numerous awards including Most Innovative Technology by Inman News and two Newspaper Association of America awards for its client: a NAA Edgie and PRESSTIME technology award for Innovative Operations.