CREATION: Tom.com creates new mobile ad opportunities

<p>The launch of mainland China's first voice portal service has given </p><p>advertisers something to talk about. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Launched by Tom.com, the service has created a new channel for </p><p>advertising, and is expected to help the Chinese portal boost much </p><p>needed revenue. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The voice portal, which is already in operation, uses the Internet as a </p><p>platform to combine voice differentiation and transformation to allow </p><p>users voice activated access to the Internet. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Developed by Beijing Super Channel Network, a subsidiary of Tom.com's </p><p>Beijing operation, Tom Voice offers users information over mobile phones </p><p>on personal finance, voice mail, flight schedules, hotel reservations in </p><p>Beijing, meal order services, transport services, international news, </p><p>film reviews and weather forecasts. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Tom.com corporate communications executive Helen Lam told CREATION it </p><p>was "too early" to give a revenue projection, but added Tom Voice had </p><p>received an enthusiastic response from the advertising sector in </p><p>mainland China. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Ms Lam said the service presented two main streams of advertising </p><p>revenue for Tom.com. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"Advertisers can merge the ad into the message to the users. For </p><p>example, if someone is looking for restaurants, a company can sponsor it </p><p>so users will hear their advertising message when they are looking for </p><p>restaurants. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"The other way is for users to pay to line up the ad. This means they </p><p>can have the name of their business listed, so a hotel can pay to have </p><p>its name on the list of hotels offered. We really see potential here," </p><p>she added. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Tom.com is to dedicate further research resources to the development of </p><p>wireless Internet-related applications. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Mainland China mobile phone users have reached an estimated 65 </p><p>million. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>According to the company, the voice portal market should be worth </p><p>USdollars 12 billion by 2005, with mainland China representing a huge </p><p>market potential. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Tom Voice was developed with IBM and Intel Dialogic. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>