CNN has rolled out a Kindle Fire mobile application as part of the company?s continuous effort to make sure its content is available on as many platforms as possible.

The app is available for free download. Additionally, Lexus is sponsoring the Kindle Fire app.

?CNN wants to make first-rate experiences available for consumers anyplace, anytime,? said Louis Gump, vice president of CNN Mobile. ?The Kindle Fire has emerged as a popular device for people who are hungry for knowledge, from the backyard to the beach.

?And they use it frequently,? he said. ?So it?s a natural place for us to launch an app as part of our overall strategy of meeting people where they are, for daily connection with the world around them.

CNN Worldwide is a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company.

Latest news
Through the Kindle Fire app, readers can check out the latest breaking news alerts and view live video clips of events as they unfold.

As part of Lexus? exclusive sponsor, the company has a significant brand presence across the app, including pre-roll video and ads on section fronts and article pages.

Additionally, co-branded media running across CNN Digital and the Turner Network will include clickable Lexus logos that drive to the company?s Web site.

Having a mobile presence across a variety of platforms is important for marketers.

Not all consumers carry the same smartphone or tablet, therefore being able to reach them no matter what device they are carrying is key.

?Making CNN content available on people's platform of their choice is a priority, and the extension of our Android app to Kindle Fire is another chapter in our legacy of innovation,? said Walker Jacobs, executive vice president of Turner Digital Ad Sales.

?Lexus is a valued partner and has demonstrated a commitment to forward-thinking, innovative content,? he said. 

?We?re excited that this sponsorship is a perfect brand fit to again put them front and center with our tech-savvy audience.?

Mobile news
CNN has been ramping up its mobile efforts over the past few years.

Last year, the company launched a free, ad-supported application for Google?s Android Honeycomb tablet platform to further extend its digital reach.

The CNN application launched in conjunction with the commercial availability of the Android 3.0 Honeycomb operating system on the Motorola Xoom tablet. Automaker Toyota's luxury brand Lexus signed on as the launch sponsor of the tablet app (see story).

Most recently, CNN and Time Inc. launched a new mobile application that features 24/7 breaking news updates and alerts from journalists covering the Republican and Democratic National Conventions (see story).

?Mobile is a strategically central part of the way CNN reaches consumers around the world,? Mr. Gump said. ?It enables people to stay plugged in, whether it?s on topics as specific as technology and health, or a journey as broad as surfing the day?s news.

?We think in terms of four primary platforms today ? TV, PC, tablet and phone, acknowledging that others exist as well,? he said. ?With major events, like the current U.S. elections, or CNN Heroes, mobile is now considered from the beginning as a core platform; this wasn?t as common two or three years ago. 

?In a nutshell, mobile products are not only essential in and of themselves, but they also help as a natural connection point across all of our platforms, including TV and online.?

Final Take
Rimma Kats is associate editor on Mobile Marketer, New York