 |
April 26, 2006 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Norman Iannarelli
HWH PR/New Media
212-355-5049 x127
or 203-856-3487
normani@hwhpr.com
Don Lucey
Assistant Manager, PR Communications
Harlequin Enterprises Ltd.
416 445 5860
don_lucey@harlequin.ca
VOCEL AND HARLEQUIN LAUNCH HARLEQUIN ON THE GO™, THE FIRST FEMALE-FOCUSED MOBILE ENTERTAINMENT APPLICATION
New Application Delivers Passionate Romance, Thrilling Suspense And Searing Drama To Mobile Phones Daily
San Diego, California and Toronto, Ontario, April 25, 2006 – VOCEL, one of the most exciting “push technology” companies in the wireless field, and Harlequin Enterprises Limited, one of the world’s leading publishers of women’s fiction today launched Harlequin On The Go™ a mobile application created for women offering a variety of entertainment choices, including daily-serialized novels by best-selling authors.
All major carriers in the U.S. will soon offer fans of Harlequin novels the chance to download onto their mobile phones a chapter-a-day from Harlequin authors. Women will be able to access new serialized content every day, as well as review previously downloaded chapters that they may have missed reading over a 30-day period. Every month, three new stories will be available for access. This unique entertainment offering is the first of its kind to be targeted at women.
In addition to Daily Reads, subscribers to Harlequin On The Go™ will receive other entertainment features. Women will be able to enjoy games such as “Six Degrees of Kissing” -- a mix-and match pursuit where celebrity couples are connected by who kissed who in their movie roles A daily pop culture poll will let subscribers know what the rest of America thinks about the latest happenings. And fans can even learn how to write a romance novel via Writing 101.
The subscription cost will be $2.49 a month and can be accessed at www.HarlequinOnTheGo.com
This new evolution in mobile phone capability is made possible by VOCEL’s patent-pending, interactive messaging technology. The company is working on the development of premium branded applications that will forever change the way people receive information from and interact with their cell phones. In addition to Harlequin, VOCEL is already developing premium applications for a core group of recognized brand names, including The Princeton Review, Random House’s Living Language, Oxford University Press, The Pill Book to name a few.
“VOCEL is proud to have worked with Harlequin, one of the leading global mass-market publishers, to create yet another great Harlequin reading experience for women, Now we can make popular romance novels available to cell phone users who have enjoyed Harlequin’s books for years and are always eager for more,” said Carl Washburn, VOCEL’s CEO and founder. “Delivering complete stories, written by the industry’s top talents, in a serialized format ideal for daily cell phone downloads is the latest evolution in mobile phones and we are looking forward to continuing this effort with other genres of published works, even academic textbooks, via our patent-pending technology.”
“Harlequin On The Go™ means you will never be caught without great reading again,” says Pam Laycock, Executive Vice President, New Business Development and Strategy. “We are always searching for exciting new ways to reach readers. In addition to being a groundbreaking new format, this application introduces a fun and refreshing new way for women to enjoy the HARLEQUIN experience. This mobile application is a key thrust in our digital delivery strategy which also includes downloadable audio and eBooks.”
About VOCEL
VOCEL is a groundbreaking publisher of premium-branded applications for mobile phones and other wireless devices that bring exciting new capabilities into user’s lives. VOCEL's patent-pending push technology sends enhanced, full-color interactive messages to mobile phones for both consumer and enterprise applications. Whether you are preparing for a college entrance exam, learning a new language, interested in serialized book content or keeping track of your health, your mobile phone can now be your best asset. Ever forget to study? Just let your phone send you practice questions throughout the day!
VOCEL's premium-branded content partners include The Princeton Review, Living Language, Random House Books, Harlequin Fiction Romance, The Pill Book, Fodor’s guides, Verizon, Prima Games, and the United States Postal Service. VOCEL technology integrates voice, data, and messaging to improve the quality of your life!
For additional information, please visit VOCEL at www.VOCEL.com.
About HARLEQUIN ENTERPRISES LIMITED
Harlequin Enterprises Limited is the global leader in series romance and one of the world's leading publishers of women's fiction, with titles issued worldwide in 25 languages and sold in 94 international markets. The company produces over 125 titles monthly and publishes more than 1,300 authors from around the world. Harlequin Enterprises Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation, a broadly based media company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TS.nv.b). Harlequin’s Web site is located at www.eHarlequin.com. Harlequin has offices in 18 countries including Toronto, New York and London. For more information please visit www.eHarlequin.com or press.eHarlequin.com.
# # #
Back to Press Releases
|