Partnership with Hearst

31 Mar 2006 07:04

Bango PLC31 March 2006 31st March 2006 Bango plc ("Bango" or "the Company") Hearst Publications launches with Bango Mobile services connect with readers of Cosmopolitan, CosmoGIRL! and Seventeen magazines March 31, 2006 - Bango plc (AIM: BGO), the mobile content enabler, is pleased toannounce today that Hearst Publications, one of the world's largest publishersof monthly magazines, has launched its own mobile sites, using the BangoService, for its Cosmopolitan, CosmoGIRL! and Seventeen magazines. By using the Bango Service, Hearst is the first major publishing house in theUnited States to use the mobile internet to deliver the 'browse and buy'shopping experience directly to consumers on any US mobile network. Hearst is using the Bango Service to enable readers to easily obtain and pay forpopular ringtones, wallpapers and horoscopes directly from their mobile phone.The millions of readers of these magazines can now access a range of contentfrom any US mobile network following simple instructions promoted on full-pageadvertisements in the magazines. "By expanding into the mobile marketplace, we're giving Cosmopolitan, CosmoGIRL!and Seventeen readers instant access to what they love on their phone," saidGlen Ellen Brown, Vice President of Brand Development, Hearst Magazines. "Bangoenables us to market, sell and deliver our branded information and contentdirectly to mobile phone users on all mobile networks - that's great news forour readers." Ray Anderson, Chief Executive of Bango, commented, "It's great to have such aprestigious organisation as Hearst Publications using the Bango Service. Ourglobal platform means that brand and content owners can be certain that whenthey choose the Bango Service, their customers can access their content nomatter which mobile network they are using. Bango's leadership in this market isvalidated by the quantity and calibre of companies that are selecting ourtechnology, such as Hearst." About HearstHearst Magazines is a unit of The Hearst Corporation, and one of the world'slargest publishers of monthly magazines with a total of 19 U.S. titles and 145international editions. Hearst reaches more adults than any other publisher ofmonthly magazines (76.3 million according to MIR, spring 2005). The company alsopublishes 19 magazines in the United Kingdom through its wholly ownedsubsidiary, The National Magazine Company Limited. About Bango Bango (AIM: BGO) has developed and deployed an open, global infrastructureplatform that enables content providers and brand owners to market, sell anddeliver their products and services directly to mobile phone users on all mobilenetworks using the mobile Internet. This "direct-to-consumer" approach operatesalongside the mobile operator's portal. Leading mobile operators includingCingular Wireless, Vodafone, Orange, Telefonica and O2 work with Bango toaccelerate the growth of their direct-to-consumer business. The Bango platform gives mobile phone subscribers around the world greateraccess to third-party content. Leading content brands are now adopting the BangoService to engage with all of their existing and potential mobile customersdirectly - irrespective of mobile operator. For further information, go towww.bango.com. For further information, please contact: Sarah Keefe, Marketing Manager Bango Tel: +44 7786 932016 sarah@bango.com Tom Moriarty/ Caroline Evans-JonesICISTel : +44 207 651 8688tom@icisnet.com / caroline@icisnet.com Shirine CoburnHearst/Coburn Communication212.730.7277shirine.coburn@coburnww.com This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange