China Unicom & mInfo Enter Into Strategic Cooperation for Intelligent Mobile Search Service

SHANGHAI, July 31, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- China Unicom (www.chinaunicom.com.cn) has selected mInfo's (www.mInfo.com) mobile search solution to power its automated information search service, SMS 114. The solution is already available to Unicom subscribers in Liaoning Province and is expected to be deployed to the rest of the country later this year. mInfo also partners with China Telecom and China Mobile on other mobile search solutions.

With over one billion mobile subscribers and 240 million mobile search users in China (iiMedia Research), it's by far the biggest mobile market and the most active mobile search market. People depend more and more on their phones to provide them the critical information they need in their daily lives. Chinese users have been depending on the carriers to provide operator assistance and information look up services via voice for decades, and now by sending a simple SMS request to the service number "114" versus calling, Unicom subscribers can get instant access to standard phone number/address look up services, as well as a variety of life style related information.

SMS 114 is a free service Unicom provides to its mobile subscribers allowing them to get detailed informational searches without using a smartphone or mobile internet connection. The service supports a natural language query that can be accessed at any time via SMS. SMS 114 is committed to providing users with quality and efficient responses to make everyday life easier. The service started in Liaoning Province, but will soon be promoted throughout the country. The SMS 114 search channel functions include: jokes, weather forecasts, business directories, greetings, horoscopes, knowledgebase, stocks, lottery tickets, and train and flight information. The system will allow millions of China Unicom's users to easily find answers to life's pressing questions via smart or feature phones.

As the leader in carrier mobile search solutions, mInfo has always been committed to meeting the needs of mobile users in China. mInfo's mobile search service is based on natural language search and personalized technology to make services intuitive and provide highly relevant search results. In the field of mobile search, they have been the leader in technology and execution and have received acclaim and awards from all three Chinese mobile operators. In 2008, The Beijing Organizing Committee of the Beijing Olympic Games and China Mobile selected mInfo as the official mobile search service provider. In 2009, China Mobile officially chose mInfo as its official search partner for the 139 Mobile portal. In 2010, mInfo and China Telecom developed the "Omni-search" service which is expected to receive 300 million searches this year. mInfo's has been continually dedicated to providing excellent technology and strong support to enhance users' mobile search experience.

About China Unicom:

China United Network Communications Group Co.,Ltd ("China Unicom") was officially established on January 6th, 2009 on the basis of the merger of former China Netcom and former China Unicom. It has subsidiaries in 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) across China and many countries and regions around the world. It is the only Chinese telecom operator listed on the stock exchanges in New York, Hong Kong and Shanghai.

About mInfo:

mInfo Inc. (www.minfo.com) is the leading provider of mobile search solutions to China's one billion wireless subscribers and a leading mobile advertising platform operator for brands and SME advertisers throughout China. The company was founded in 2005 and headquartered in Shanghai, with offices in Beijing, Guangzhou and Chengdu.

SOURCE mInfo Inc.