ELLE, Virgin Radio, Première and 7 Other Major Media Brands are Collectively Launching Mobile Applications Thanks to Mobiles Republic's Solution

Mobiles Republic's APPY technology democratises mobile applications by making them available on the vast majority of mobile phones, and attracts major Media brands for a launch on the FRench market.

Bordeaux, France (PRWEB) June 30, 2009 -- With almost 4 billion people over the world having their mobile phone always connected, the mobile is considered as a primary channel for mass marketing. So it is only natural that influential media brands such as Elle, Public, Europe 1, Première, Le Parisien and L'Equipe are looking for ways to broadcast their brands and content to the greatest number of users.

To put their applications on the widest range of handsets (Java compatible), Virgin Radio, Elle, l'Equipe.fr, Première, Public, Europe 1, Le Parisien, Télé 7, Sports.fr, Boursier.com have used Mobiles Republic's technology. Their applications are now available as part of the downloadable "APPY" applications player, an innovative solution developed by Mobiles Republic.

From today, via the type of high-quality user experience comparable to top-of-the-range smartphones, users can check the content of their favourite media brands on their mobile.

They say:

Emmanuel Vacher, Sales & Marketing Director, Digital Business Unit, Lagardère Active: "With Mobiles Republic, we aim at replicating the success of iPhone applications on a lot more handsets based on the principle that the brand is present from the welcome screen and that the navigation stays the simplest and most intuitive possible."

For Xavier Spender, CEO of L'Equipe 24/24: "L'Equipe 24/24 is looking at digital media as a whole: TV, Internet, digital radio and mobile telephony. APPY completes our range of offers on mobile and is in line with L'Equipe's objective of providing fast easy access to its content to the widest audience whatever the handset."

For Isabelle André, New Media and Development Director, LeParisien/Aujourd'hui En France: "Headnews and classified news sections (politics, various facts, international, local, leisure and entertainment, etc), the application, downloadable in one click via SMS, gives quick and customised access to a range of columns and highlights from leParisien.fr. Users can then check out the exclusive content from leParisien.fr on an uncluttered, ergonomic and intuitive interface. It's the iPhone simplicity of navigation offered to everyone! Following its mobile sites "information" and "turf" and its iPhone application, leParisien.fr continues its developments on mobile to confirm its position as a multi-platform media pioneer."

For Gilles Raymond, CEO of Mobiles Republic: "APPY means access for all to the major French media. Our offer enables the greatest majority of handsets to access freely, simply and quickly quality-driven content. We will continue to bring together media and manufacturers around this offer in order to better serve the user."

A technological platform created for mass market handsets using a superior user interface.

The interface developed by Mobiles Republic enhances the content of the integrated applications through a revolving carousel-type menu. Thanks to this smooth and intuitive navigation system, users can easily surf from one application to another, a preview of each application automatically displaying the key information. The integration of many advertising formats into the technology as well as billing capabilities form the basis of a profitable business model for the publishers.

To install AppyTM and download the applications free-of-charge in a few easy steps:

* install AppyTM player by connecting to www.appymobile.fr

* send "Appy" by SMS to 31900 (cost of an SMS)

The service is currently available only in France.

About Mobiles Republic and AppyTM

With its APPYTM applications solution that transforms a simple handset into a real multimedia platform, Mobiles Republic is at the leading edge of innovation. By combining advertising expertise and a mobile publishing strategy, APPYTM offers a unique multimedia experience for all types of phones. Created in 2008, Mobiles Republic is already backed up by major publishing companies, brands and manufacturers, and is a winner of the 2008 Sony Ericsson Content Awards.

About Lagardère Active

Lagardère Active (Press and Audiovisuel) is one of the 4 leading brands of Lagardère.

SCA, alongside Lagardère Publishing (Books), Lagardère Services (Distribution and Services) and Lagardère Sports (sports broadcast rights and management)

Lagardère Active, is present in magazine publishing (Elle, Paris Match, Télé 7 jours, Première, Public, etc,), on radio (Europe 1, Virgin Radio, RFM, etc,), thematic TV channels (Gulli, Canal J, Tiji, Filles TV, Virgin 17, MCM, Mezzo, etc,), TV production and audiovisual distribution (GMT, Angel, Maximal, etc.), The Digital (Doctissimo, Newsweb, etc.) and Advertising Agency (Lagardère Advertising).

In 2008, Lagardère Active has realised a consolidated turnover of 2.11 Billion euros (of which 51% abroad). Present in 45 countries, it is an international leader, with close to 220 magazine titles (licences included), 29 radio stations and 9 TV Channels.

Lagardère Active is one of the leading French media groups with a digital audience of more than 15 million Unique Visitors (Nielsen Netratings Mars 09). In the world, Lagardère Active reaches about 50 million Unique Visitors.

About Le Parisien / Aujourd'hui en France

LeParisien.fr and its spin off Aujourd'hui.fr are the information sites of the daily newspaper le Parisien / Aujourd'hui en France, the leader in the Ile de France region with more than 1.7 millions readers every day and more than 2.2 millions readers throughout the French territory.

LeParisien.fr has recorded its strongest growth in 2008 for its general information site, and, with 3.2 million individual visitors, is one of the leaders in general information on the Internet in France. REACTIVITY, EXCLUSIVITY, INTERACTIVITY, LeParisien.fr provides live coverage on all home and international news.

It is also a site that stays in touch which its internet users thanks to community information feed in Ile de France and Oise, and to its diverse services (weather forecast, local traffic, car sharing, job adverts, house sales, etc). Finally, with more than 2 500 exclusive videos, leParisien.fr offers the most exhaustive list of exclusive video news reports of all the French information sites.

About L'Equipe.fr

L'Equipe.fr is the leading sports news site in France with more than 4.2 million Unique Visitors (Nielsen netratings May 2009) and more than 607 million pages viewed per month on the Internet (Cybermétrie-Cyberestats may 2009) and more than 45 million pages viewed on mobile.

L'Equipe.fr is published by L'Equipe 24/24, a L'Equipe 100% subsidiary in charge of new media development and management. L'Equipe 24/24 positions itself as the first multimedia platform and broadcasts, most notably, the TV channel L'Equipe TV; the Internet sites L'Équipe.fr, L'Équipemag.fr, Francefootball.fr, Velomagazine.fr and L'Équipeauto.fr; the Internet sites L'Équipe.fr, L'Équipemag.fr Francefootball.fr, Velomagazine.fr et L'Équipeauto.fr.

L'Equipe.fr is directly accessible from a mobile phone, via all mobile Operators on www.lequipe.fr

###