hi5 Mobile Launches with an International Flare
As many of you already know, I’m currently employed at hi5 and I absolutely love it because of its attention to international markets - from the flags posted on the cubicle and office walls, to the diversity of ethnic foods that arrives every night at around 7:15pm, to the multicultural staff (most bi or trilingual). Sometimes I feel like I’m in a different country based on the stories I hear and the accents around me.
I’m not writing today to announce why I think hi5 is fantastic, I wanted to share some very important news with the world about hi5 underscoring its dedication to the global social networking market by creating a solution for members to take hi5 wherever they go - introducing hi5 Mobile! Available on mobile phones in 26 different languages, hi5 Mobile sets a new precedent for the globalization of the mobile web and provides access to the millions of international users who primarily use mobile devices, instead of a personal computer, to stay connected with friends, family and colleagues.
The functionality on hi5 Mobile 1.0 includes send and receive messages, update status, view friends’ profiles, share photos, find out who is online and add new friends. hi5 Mobile has been optimized for performance and display on the most popular phones, including the Apple iPhone, Nokia, Motorola, Blackberry, LG, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson.
Growth of the mobile Internet market has been dramatic. Market research firm IDC estimates the total number of mobile Internet users worldwide will reach 546 million in 2008, nearly twice as many as in 2006, and is forecast to surpass 1.5 billion worldwide in 2012.
One fact is clear - mobile phones are more ubiquitous than laptops or desktops, in terms of foreign penetration. It is a source for entertainment, communication, sharing content and personalizing one’s phone with music, wallpapers, ringtones, and more - hi5 understands this value proposition and has focused on serving the needs of the global social networker, going beyond translation to true localization and understanding the nuances of how people in different cultures use social networking to communicate, share information, and discover content.
