ONEm Communications is teaming up with Al Jazeera Media Network to create a new interactive channel for their news content over ordinary mobile.
Al Jazeera Media Network already reaches over 305 million households in over 140 countries and will be now be available as a valuable source of Arabic and English content on the ONEm platform. Al Jazeera Media Network is the first media conglomerate from the Middle East to join the ONEm ecosystem.
ONEm enables Al Jazeera Media Network content consumers access up-to-date news through SMS and audio in both Arabic and English. ONEm provides a new internet-style interactive experience for mobile users by repurposing existing SMS and audio. This is available on both smartphones and basic feature phones.
The user begins by texting "#news or #aljazeera" to the ONEm platform. The platform responds by starting a menu-driven SMS dialogue with the user whereby the user can select an option to read or listen to an article. Users can also search and sort by categories and view the top trending stories using fuzzy search terms.
A unique feature of the ONEm service is the ability to tap into user generated content that will help news organizations such as Al Jazeera to follow up or verify trending stories.
ONEm is a continuously growing global mobile ecosystem consisting of mobile operators, content providers and mobile users. Content providers such as Al Jazeera see the need to reach the masses with a systematic interactive approach that is global and not dependant exclusively on data enabled devices.
Abdulla Al Najjar, Al Jazeera Media Network's executive director of Global Brand and Communications, commented: "We are very excited to announce this agreement. We have a commitment to expand on new avenues and platforms for our audiences across all avenues and we look forward to delivering content in English and Arabic with ONEm."
Christopher Richardson, CEO of ONEm Communications, said: "Having lived in Qatar, I listen regularly to Al Jazeera on the radio. I used to sit in the car in the parking lot to finish listening to a documentary report before going to work. Today, it is a great pleasure for me to have the opportunity to bring these great documentaries to others through our audio services over voice. I look forward to having Al Jazeera available to their global audience in Arabic and English."