The Houston Chronicle Selects Advanced Mobile Solutions for Mobile Classifieds

The Houston Chronicle and Chron.com have partnered with Advanced Mobile Solutions of Wayne, PA to mobilize local print and web based classified data using a powerful combination of text/SMS messaging and mobile web.

The Houston Chronicle and their associated web property, Chron.com are ranked 9th and 11th in daily newspaper circulation and daily newspaper web site traffic respectively. The Houston Chronicle has long been a digital technology leader in the newspaper industry so it is only logical that they would be one of the first to “mobilize” their classifieds.

The Chronicle’s MyClassifieds2Go service is the first mobile classified service to use AMS’s patent pending ConTEXTual Search technology. ConTEXTual Search allows readers to quickly search and browse classified listings by texting descriptive key words to The Houston Chronicle’s short code 24766 (CHRON). For example, users can text the words SEARCH HOMES KATY to 24766 and receive a return SMS message with an embedded mobile web (WAP) link taking users to the search result in the WAP site where complete details, descriptions and photos are available for review. Critical performance generating features in the WAP site include: Email Listing and Click2Call in addition to tracking all mobile web traffic stats and text message requests.

“In keeping with the Chronicles’ reputation for being an early adopter, we were very excited they selected AMS and again demonstrating leadership in the digital media space, this time with mobile,” said David Sawyer, Executive V.P. of Business Development for Advanced Mobile Solutions, in Wayne, PA. “Mobile provides a powerful new distribution channel, attracting important new audiences, generating demonstrable performance for advertisers and generating significant revenue streams for our partners. Mobile is an ideal progression for newspapers and will soon represent the third distribution channel for their advertising content, following print and web.”