Virgin Mobile USA and buzzd announced a partnership that will bring the buzzd service to all Virgin Mobile USA handsets via the no-annual contract carrier’s WAP deck giving Virgin Mobile subscribers an interactive, real-time local mobile service.
The companies are also partnering to provide Virgin Mobile USA customers with a mobile-enabled location-sensitive city guide and social network. “buzzd on Virgin Mobile” service allows local entertainment information to be broadcast and shared among Virgin Mobile USA customers based on their location.
Accessible on all Virgin Mobile USA devices via the carrier’s WAP deck “buzzd on Virgin Mobile” delivers editorially driven event and venue information, along with up-to-the-minute reviews and ratings from friends and other members of the community. The mobile entertainment service currently lists events and venues across all major cities in the United States, Europe and India and is powered by New York-based buzzd.
The service is more than just local entertainment listings and reviews, however: it also allows its subscribers to instantly find, connect with and reach out to friends with easy-to-use SMS and messaging features. Users can also browse and search continuously updated event feeds, which include pricing, location and event details, as well as firsthand ratings and reviews posted from the event by other members directly via the mobile platform. Events and venues are aggregated first through multiple content partnerships such as Flavorpill, TimeOut, Zagat and many more. User-generated feedback for ‘real-time’ activity about venues and events is also layered at the top of event listings throughout the platform.
One of the key features of buzzd is the ability to find real-time activity across any event in the United States, including the rating of specific events and what the “scene” is actually like at the particular location. buzzd now appears on Virgin Mobile USA’s deck for customers to find out “what’s going on around me right now?”
Users can register for the service immediately by clicking the “buzzd” link from Virgin XL, or by texting ‘join’ to 96321. Standard text and data rates apply.