Info2cell.com delivers Formula One updates via MMS and SMS to mobile phones

"The Formula One race in Bahrain presented us with the perfect opportunity to showcase our new range of services using the MMS technology," said Bashar Dahabra, Founder and General Manager, Info2cell.com. "We have timed the launch of our service with the Bahrain Formula One in recognition of the major milestone achieved by the Kingdom of Bahrain in acquiring the rights to stage the Formula One race on the island. It is a much anticipated event for the people in this region. The Formula One races are packed with pulsating action, drama and excitement. Formula One fans and followers like to keep abreast of the events news, developments and race results. Info2cell is glad to give them an opportunity to stay in touch with the action using the dynamic MMS and SMS technology for the first time in the region."

Info2cell's MMS and SMS offering will include Formula One race updates, race results, driver rankings and carmaker standings. The updates will be available for mobile phone subscribers in the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan. The MMS messages will have exciting pictures from the Formula One race events as well as pictures of drivers, their support groups and the teams. In addition, since MMS messages support much more text than SMS and specifically when sending Arabic MMS, the Arabic MMS messages alerts will provide much more details than the Arabic SMS messages.

"MMS takes messaging to a new level, making news and sports updates more attractive and exciting. Formula One fans and enthusiasts who subscribed to the MMS service were extremely delighted with the quality of the service and visual brilliance of the updates. We are now poised to expand the MMS services to all segments of news and entertainment, giving a whole new perspective to the delivery of updated information to subscribers across the region," Dahabra added.

Info2cell.com used the Formula One race to demonstrate the amazing features of MMS technology. During the Formula One race, subscribers will receive a standard package of MMS alerts giving race progress and race final results. In the future, however, Info2cell are planning to make the service more tailored so that the subscriber can select alerts for either a specific Formula One Team or a specific Formula One Driver. This is the first time in the region that mobile phone subscribers will be able to get MMS updates of a major sports event.

The launch of MMS alerts for news and sports updates comes at a time when mobile phone penetration in the Middle East has outpaced that of land lines. Messaging services are gaining rapid momentum because of the huge increase in mobile phone users and value added services being offered. According to market research figures, mobile phone penetration has accelerated in the Arab world following a growth rate of 9.92 per cent at the end of June 2003, compared to the increase in land lines of just 3.57 per cent. Mobile phone subscriptions in 18 Arab countries stood at 29,431,600 at the end of June 2003, against the land line subscriptions of 2,488,300.

Subscribers wishing to subscribe to the MMS and SMS Formula One alerts will be able to do so by sending a simple SMS message to a number in each country where the services have been launched.