Flirtomatic makes U.S. plans: Social networking site to launch mobile beta

London’s Handmade Mobile Ltd. is bringing its Flirtomatic service to the United States.
The mobile and online social networking community, which claims more than 1.3 million registered users, launched in the United Kingdom three years ago and recently deployed service in Germany. The company has secured carrier deals in both European markets and said it has “always had good traction in the U.S.” through its Web site; an initial U.S. offering will couple the Internet site with support for Apple Inc.’s iPhone.
“We’re certain that there is a demand that we can meet over in the U.S.,” CEO Mark Curtis said in a prepared statement. “Even though this is the launch of our mobile beta, we’ve always had consistently high usage from the U.S. via the Web, with a user base that has grown virally thus far. We’re really looking forward to seeing what we can do out there and how the users respond to our mobile service.”
Flirtomatic joins an ever-growing list of services looking to allow users to keep tabs on their friends and meet new people via their phones. But analysts say that while users are flocking to mobile social networking communities, the ad revenues expected to drive the space will may wane as the economy continues to slow.