GameFly goes mobile
GameFly, an online video game rental service, has launched GameFly Mobile, powered by Usablenet.
Consumers can access the GameFly Mobile site via any Web-enabled mobile device by entering http://www.gamefly.com in the handset's Internet browser. The mobile site was created in less than six weeks.
"Delivering GameFly via the mobile platform is another enhancement of the user experience," said Sean Spector, co-founder and senior vice president of business development and content for GameFly, Los Angeles. "We are excited to partner with Usablenet to bring GameFly Mobile to our community, which community wants access to GameFly whenever and wherever that fits with their lifestyle.
"GameFly Mobile delivers by offering our users a new opportunity to connect and engage with video game-related content and their GameFly account no matter where they are," he said.
The GameFly Mobile site gives GameFly customers the same features and functionality available on the Web site, including renting games, managing accounts and points and reading user reviews and recommendations.
With GameFly Mobile, members can add titles and make changes to the GameQ, browse new releases and coming-soon titles, and buy or keep rented games.
In addition, GameFly Mobile consumers can access the latest cheats, codes and FAQs, read user and critic reviews, and find game-play controls and game specs.
GameFly Mobile also lets consumers view game recommendations, check GameFly Rewards, and update account settings.
"GameFly's mobile site, power by Usablenet offers GameFly customers all the same functionality and ease-of-use available on GameFly's primary Web site," said Nick Taylor, president of Usablenet, New York.
"As mobile Web usage and the number of Internet-capable phones on the market continue to rise, companies like GameFly are listening to their customers and realizing the necessity of a fully functional and user-friendly mobile Web site," he said.
There is no charge to use the GameFly Mobile Web site. However, standard Internet data usage rates apply depending on the specific wireless carrier plans.
GameFly is an online video game rental service.
With a choice of more than 6,000 titles, GameFly claims to offer the widest selection of games for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Microsoft's Xbox, Xbox 360, Nintendo's GameCube, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii and PSP without the hassle of due dates or late fees.
With plans starting at $15.95 a month, GameFly subscribers can rent one-to-four games at a time and keep them for as long as they like.
Subscribers manage their GameQ online and receive games directly from the U.S. Postal Service via first-class mail.
GameFly is also a source for used video games.
GameFly is offering a free trial at http://www.gamefly.com.
Callers to New York City's 911 emergency hotline are now able to assist in crime fighting using their mobile phones, a service powered by Usablenet (see story).
Usablenet has unique data and insight from more than 150 clients' mobile Web sites, with more launching weekly.
Usablenet's most recent research shows that t he average usage of overall mobile Web is increasing 20 percent each month.
In the U.S., mobile Web usage breakdown by device is iPhone -- 30 percent; BlackBerry -- 27 percent; Palm, Nokia, Windows Mobile and Samsung -- 3-5 percent; and other mobile devices -- less than 1 percent.
In Europe, mobile Web usage breakdown by device is Nokia -- 23 percent; Windows Mobile and BlackBerry -- 10 percent; iPhone -- 5 percent; and other mobile devices -- 1-3 percent.
Last week, the United Nations Communications Chief Kiyotaka Akasaka predicted that there will be 4 billion mobile phone users, more than half of world's estimated population, by the end of 2008.
ChangeWave Research released a new survey this month that found nearly 12 percent of the consumers it polled plan to buy a particular brand of smartphone within the next 90 days, the highest level the analyst firm has reported in three years of research.
The data within the report suggests that the overall high-end phone market continues to grow despite the current economic state.
The report also said that of those polled, 34 percent intended to buy an iPhone, 30 percent a BlackBerry, 6 percent a Palm device or Nokia phone, and 1 percent a Motorola device.
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Usablenet Mobile is a fully managed service that leverages the features and functionality of a company's existing Web site and extends it to all mobile devices worldwide in less than six weeks.
Usablenet's mobile Web platform, Usablenet Mobile, provides leading brands with a new channel to extend marketing, commerce and client service efforts to their customers' mobile phones.
The service requires no IT resources or Web design on the client side.
Amtrak has tapped Usablenet to power the Amtrak iPhone Web application, the latest enhancement to the railroad's mobile offering (see story).
"Our early clients were mainly in the travel world, business travelers were leaders in using mobile phone for accessing the Internet via their handset, but now the rest of the world has started to catch up," Mr. Taylor said.
Usablenet's other customers include American Airlines, Limited Brands, Nissan, Victoria's Secret, Ralph Lauren, Accenture and Pfizer, as well as various major hotel groups and rental car companies.
"We employ device detection, letting us dynamically build mobile pages based on exact capabilities of a consumer's mobile device," Mr. Taylor said. "We know exactly what device they're using and output mobile page builds specifically for that device.
"We map the functionality from the client's Web site to mobile and dynamically build mobile Weg pages based on device capabilities," he said. "Usablenet Mobile is fully managed service that gives our clients the flexibility to identify the areas of Web sites they want people to access from their mobile phones.
"We can extend any Web functionality to mobile, including awards and loyalty programs and mobile commerce."