Targeted advertising allows free access to MobileM@il
No data charges for receiving and sending email

Singapore,19 June 2007 – Singapore Telecommunications Limited (Singtel) today announced that it is the first operator in Asia Pacific to offer free ‘push’ email to its mobile postpaid customers.

The service, called MobileM@il, is the first advertising-based mobile email service that will deliver real-time email for the mass market.  

The underlying technology used by Singtel for MobileM@il is developed by Consilient, a leading software company.  Consilient’s software, Push™, contains an advertising capability that serves a minimal number of text and graphical ads side-by-side with subscribers’ email messages.  Care has been taken to place the advertisements in such a way that they will be unobtrusive and not break the flow of the email messages.

MobileM@il allows users to manage their email profile and set up multiple email accounts on their mobile phone.  They can have their emails automatically ‘pushed’ from their SingNet, Yahoo!, Gmail and Hotmail accounts.  The service allows them to receive, forward, insert and save attachments as well as save their contacts in a local address book.

“We are excited about developing this entirely new business model that brings an extremely useful free service to our customers and a value-added offering to our advertising partners,” said Mr Quek Peck Leng, Singtel Mobile’s CEO.

“Singtel has been looking at opportunities to increase the value and functionality of its mobile service, and email is the next logical step due to its widespread usage.  Moreover, mobile users are already accustomed to using their mobile phones to send and receive text messages.  This advertising-led service is an innovative way of allowing mobile customers to stay in touch via email while on the go.”

“Mobile phones are always with people and they are always on, making it an advertiser’s dream come true,” said Mr Trevor Adey, Consilient’s CEO.  “Working with Singtel and Mindshare Group, we have harnessed the advertising capability of the MobileM@il service, which gives advertisers unprecedented access to the consumer market,” Mr Adey added.  

“With the embedding of this technology into an established consumer lifestyle, a new communication channel is now available for marketers to connect with more than a million consumers in Singapore, arguably the most highly penetrated mobile service market in the world,” said Mr Jeffrey Seah, Mindshare Group Singapore’s CEO.

Mindshare clients include well-known consumer brands such as Pizza Hut and KFC. Interactive advertisements enable features such as ‘click to browse’, ‘call’ and ‘download’.

Advertisers’ Views

Ms Virginia Ng, Senior Marketing Manager of KFC Singapore commented, "KFC is both excited and honoured to partake in this cutting-edge technology pioneered by Singtel Mobile.  This is an exciting new medium that we believe provides us with an innovative way of reaching out to our target audience.  Currently, every advertiser is fighting to use the same pool of mediums.  We are confident that armed with this new medium, it will allow us to cut through the clutter and communicate more effectively to our target consumers."

Pizza Hut is also delighted with this new service, according to Ms Juliana Lim, Senior Marketing Manager of Pizza Hut Singapore.

"Pizza Hut is a young and vibrant brand for today's consumers. It is our aim to stay relevant and be part of their lifestyle especially in terms of technology forefront and communications.  Hence, it is our great pleasure to be part of this innovative and exciting initiative which pushes the use of mobile technology to a different level!" she said.

Mr Jack Tan, Sony Ericsson’s Head of Market Unit for Singapore added, “Sony Ericsson is very proud to be part of this initiative by Singtel.  As a leading player in the industry, Sony Ericsson is constantly exploring creative and impactful channels to reach out to our consumers.  We believe this new service will enable us to interact with them and to understand their needs better.”

To sign-up for the free MobileM@il service, customers can visit any Singtel outlet, visit Singtel’s IDEAS WAP portal, dial *EMAIL from their mobile phone, or contact the customer service hotline by dialing 1626. A later release of the service will be available for customers who prefer a paid MobileM@il service that does not feature any advertising.  

For a list of supported mobile phones for MobileM@il, go to http://ideas.singtel.com/messaging/m_email_messaging/support.jsp