BANGALORE: Bharti Airtel and Google announced a strategic partnership that is expected to set new grounds in mobile search and help redefine the mobile internet in India.
As part of the agreement, Airtel will bring Google search to the Airtel Live mobile WAP portal. Google will also incorporate advertising through its Mobile Ads product on the Airtel Live mobile portal.
The Google search engine on Airtel Live mobile portal will enable Airtel users to use the Google search engine to easily access content. Google will power searches on Airtel Live in two areas on net (rich content on Airtel Live) and off net (Internet on Mobile).
Airtel Live has over 50,000 exclusive pieces of content including information like news, stock ticker and sports scores and downloadable content like games, music, video clips and wall papers.
Also, for customers who access the Internet through their mobile phone, Airtel will bring to them the power of Google in a format that makes mobile surfing an enjoyable experience.
Google will also incorporate Mobile Ads, which are text advertisements based on search terms that are displayed alongside search results on the Airtel Live mobile portal. This will enable advertisers to reach targeted users with their products and services on a cost-per-click basis. This new business model is a first for both consumers and businesses in India.
"In India, mobile is fast outgrowing the growth of PCs. Mobile users outnumber PC users in India by a factor of six. The first computing experience for the majority of Indians in the next few years will be on a mobile phone," said Manoj Kohli, president, Bharti Airtel Ltd. "By offering Google services to our customers, Airtel strengthens its commitment to innovation. With this service, World Wide Web has literally converged into the handheld device enabling anytime, anywhere access to information and entertainment for Airtel customers," he added.
Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, vice president, Asia Pacific and Latin America
Operations, Google said, "Today, India is one of the fastest growing mobile markets in the world. We are very pleased to partner with Airtel, a company that has played a key role in leading India's explosive mobile growth, to bring Google services to the millions of mobile users in India. By providing immediate access to Google, Airtel is creating a compelling experience for its users, who will now be able to quickly and easily find
information that's important to them."
© CyberMedia News
