iMODE Partnership
MONSTER UK AVAILABLE ON i-MODE®
Monster UK, the leading global online careers and recruitment resource, joins O2’s growing number of i-mode content providers
LONDON – September 29, 2005 – O2 has announced its strategic alliance with Monster UK, the UK arm of the flagship brand of Monster Worldwide (NASDAQ: MNST), to provide i-mode consumers with access to its services in the UK. The partnership will see Monster.co.uk available from 1st October 2005 and will offer instant access to thousands of jobs and career advice, helping Monster build close relationships with increasing mobile consumers. As an official partner, Monster UK will be available through i-mode’s intuitive interface under jobs on the i-mode menu.
The alliance forms part of i-mode’s advanced content ecosystem, through which Monster UK has quickly developed and deployed sophisticated content for consumers. There is potential for Monster UK to expand its revenue opportunities by monetising its content through O2’s generous revenue sharing model. As a service, Monster UK can also collect revenue from subscription based services billed directly through users’ phone bills, enabling it to concentrate on its core business. i-mode is a flexible business model that facilitates both subscription based and non subscription based content.
Originally developed six years ago by NTT DoCoMo, Japan's largest mobile operator, i-mode® is the world's most widely-used mobile Internet service with more than 50 million users in 22 countries. i-mode is an easy to use, fast and cost effective way for mobile users to enjoy a world of content from Internet sites they already know. i-mode combines the simplicity and speed normally associated with fixed Internet services with a consistently good customer experience on a range of unique handsets. Users can email using a unique personal address that they choose as well as browse and transact with a wide range of i-mode Internet sites made specifically for use on mobile phones.
Grahame Riddell, Head of i-mode Marketing for O2 UK said: We are pleased to be working with Monster UK to offer its recruitment services to our customers. Monster has managed to capture the benefits of the i-mode ecosystem, offering a compelling mobile experience for both job seekers and employers. O2 wants to make developing mobile content as attractive and as easy for businesses as possible. Building a strong content community both on and off portal will be critical to the success of these services. Use will be driven by periods of downtime, communication applications, like e-mail, and situational driven use, when information is needed instantly. Our research clearly shows that consumers are willing to look at and pay for mobile content, and the overriding point is that convenience is key.”
“This is a great opportunity for Monster UK to reach mobile phone users who want to look for jobs while they’re on the go. The Internet and the mobile phone industry are intrinsically connected. Monster’s excited to be at the forefront of a project that brings recruitment and mobile phones together,” said Alan Townsend, Regional Managing Director of Monster UK and Ireland.
About i-mode
The i-mode service, exclusively from O2, marks a departure from the closed ‘walled-garden’ approach to content provision to an open environment, encouraging community building and innovative content services. It is easier for content partners to develop commercially viable customer-focused services with a low incremental cost model – i-mode sites can be built for less than £10K, reducing the immediate pressure for subscription revenues, and encouraging a diverse range of original services and content.
i-mode builds on O2’s market-leading position in the provision of mobile messaging and content services. With one in three text messages in the UK sent across the O2 network nearly 22 per cent of the group’s service revenues now derive from data. The addition of the i-mode capability to O2’s service portfolio in the medium term will complement the highly successful O2 Active WAP portal, which now has well over 3 million customers and represents more than 50 per cent of UK mobile internet traffic.
Notes to editors:
About i-mode
O2’s i-mode service spearheads a shift away from the closed ‘walled-garden’ approach to content provision to an open environment, encouraging community building and innovative content services. It is easier for content partners to develop commercially viable customer-focused services with a low incremental cost model – i-mode sites can be built for less than £10K, reducing the immediate pressure for subscription revenues, and encouraging a diverse range of original services and content.
i-mode builds on O2’s market-leading position in the provision of mobile messaging and content services. With one in three text messages in the UK sent across the O2 network and Europe’s most successful online mobile operation, nearly 22 per cent of the group’s service revenues now derive from data. The addition of the i-mode capability to O2’s service portfolio in the medium term will complement the highly successful O2 Active WAP portal which now has well over 3 million customers and represents more than 50 per cent of UK mobile internet traffic.
'i-mode' and the 'i-mode' logo are trade marks or registered trade marks of NTT DoCoMo Inc. in Japan and other countries.
About O2
O2 is a leading provider of mobile services to consumers and businesses in the UK. It is the leader in non-voice services, including text, media messaging, games, music and video, as well as always on data connections via GPRS, 3G and WLAN. Each month O2’s 14.6 million plus customers send more than three quarters of a billion text messages. O2 (UK) Ltd is a subsidiary of O2 plc, which also owns O2 branded mobile operators in Ireland and Germany as well as the Airwave O2 emergency services network in the UK.
O2 and the O2 logo are registered trademarks of the O2 Group of companies.
About Monster UK
Monster UK is the local content and language website for Monster, the leading global online careers and recruitment resource. With over 1.6 million visits per month, Monster UK works for everyone by connecting quality job seekers at all levels with leading employers across all industries. The Monster global network consists of local sites in the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Austria, as well as in the United States, Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong and India. For more information see www.monster.co.uk or call +44 207 406 5050
Special Note: Safe Harbour Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Except for historical information contained herein, the statements made in this release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding Monster Worldwide, Inc.’s strategic direction, prospects and future results. Certain factors, including factors outside of the company’s control, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward- looking statements, including economic and other conditions in the markets in which we operate, risks associated with acquisitions, competition, seasonality and the other risks discussed in Monster Worldwide, Inc.’s Form 10-K and its other filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which discussions are incorporated in this release by reference.
Contact:
Geraldine Grewal or Abigail Holdaway
Weber Shandwick
+44 (0) 20 7067 0500
ggrewal@webershandwick.com or
aholdaway@webershandwick.com
