InfoGin looks to take the Web mobile, not mobilize the Web

BOSTON – There was a lot of talk during the Mobile Internet World 2008 event about expanding connectivity and access to the Internet to more people and devices using advanced networks, but one company in attendance is looking for a simpler solution.
Israeli-based InfoGin was showing off technology that allows even the most basic mobile Web browser to have full access to any Web. And not just mobile sites, but access to all the functionality embedded in fully developed and feature-packed sites.
Does your latest and greatest 3G iPhone not support Flash? InfoGin said its technology transcodes Flash content into a format that any device can use.
InfoGin founder and CEO Eran Wyler demonstrated the technology using Nokia Corp.’s N95 device accessing YouTube.com’s desktop site, as opposed to the site’s mobile-optimized offering. The Flash-based video clip was converted into the RealPlayer format used by the device with the clip playing smoothly over the device.
Wyler also showed how the technology rearranges Web sites into a more surfing-friendly format that places the important information higher on the page and also embeds InfoGin shortcuts at the top of the page to allow users to quickly scroll through Web pages.
Wyler also explained that unlike a number of devices that support only a fraction of Web-based plug-ins, like Apple Inc.’s iPhone’s lack of support for Flash, the InfoGin solution supports all plug-ins and figures out what a handset can support and renders the content in the appropriate format.
Wyler said the company targets wireless operators and mobile content providers with the technology. For mobile operators, InfoGin claims that by providing a more pleasant mobile browsing experience, customers are more likely to use data services on their devices and in turn purchase mobile data packages.
“Operators did not think users wanted to surf the Web from their mobile devices,” said Wyler. “Now we are there.”
Wyler said the company is working with several carriers, including Vodafone Group plc, Telefonica SA and KPN, and is also powering the Live Search service from Microsoft Corp.
Since the offering relies on a carrier’s network, Wyler said it can bypass any issues regarding the stripping of advertisements from a Web site as the carrier is in control of what the end user is eventually shown.
For content providers, the InfoGin solution promises a smoother option for companies looking to port their wares to the mobile space and a more optimized presentation compared to other transcoding services like Opera’s Mini browser.
“Anything that travels through a carrier partner’s Web portal is optimized by our technology,” Wyler said.