World's first from Telenor: SMS turns mobile phone into airline ticket

"The agreement with Norwegian is exciting, as it adds a new dimension to mobile commerce. Buying a plane ticket will now be just as simple as buying a cinema ticket. The fact that mobile customers have now been given the opportunity to purchase travel, emphasizes the most important aspect of MobileCommerce - independence of time and place," said CEO of Telenor Mobil, Ingvild Myhre.

"Although we already have more than 500,000 registered users, mobile commerce is still in its early phases. Norwegian are creative and are showing a lot of initiative when they make use of a solution that is already found in most Norwegians' pockets, said Ingvild Myhre of Telenor Mobil.

"This is an exciting use of technology that will simplify ticket booking and check-in for most people, and it will also contribute to keep costs down, said Market Director Carl Størmer of Norwegian . With the help of SMS messages, users may find, book and pay for tickets. Their receipts, which will be issued in the form of SMS messages, will be used as valid tickets when travellers check in. This makes it easier for us and for our customers - and we will be able to keep or prices low," said Størmer.

MobileCommerce is today used to purchase a number of products, ranging from chocolate bars and soft drinks to ski passes and cinema tickets and customers may also use the service to recharge their prepaid subscription cards. More than 500,000 mobile customers have registered as mobile shoppers.

"Telenor has put together an innovative and strong team to develop these services. In addition to being the dominant player in the market for mobile services in Norway, they have shown that they are flexible and innovative, and we see them as a natural partner for Norwegian in the development of this service, said Carl Størmer.

For more information:

Sigurd Sandvin, head of information Telenor Mobil

Tel: +47 905 21 100

Carl Størmer, Market Director Norwegian