Gavin Dickinson, Executive Director of Publishing, ADMC
 

Abu Dhabi Media Company (ADMC), the publisher of Al Ittihad and The National, recently released a slate of new applications to deliver the sought-after content of its flagship newspapers directly to mobile phones.
These customized mobile editions and iPhone applications are free to download, and are part of a larger ADMC initiative to expand its offerings in the world of digital publishing, technology, and content delivery.

The new mobile applications provide readers with instant, real-time access to the latest local and international news, as well as events, sports, business, columnists and opinions, all in a simple, easy-to-navigate manner. They have already proven very popular in the pre-launch period, and now the two newspapers are excited to expand the possibilities of these mobile services to all their readers.

"It's been 14 years since the launch of Al Ittihad online, in 1996. As new media platforms develop and technology accelerates, our readers are looking for mobility and flexibility while accessing information, and their mobile devices have become a pivotal platform," commented Gavin Dickinson, Executive Director of Publishing at ADMC.

"We want to continue to bring quality content to our readers, while also focusing on expanding and enhancing the way they receive it, and creating new digital content delivery channels. We have already started off the digital device decade, with the launch of The National's digital edition on Amazon's Kindle, just few weeks ago. With these new mobile applications, we offer a fast, easy and convenient way for our readers to connect to their preferred newspapers, anytime and anywhere," concluded Dickinson.

The new applications for All Ittihad and The National reflect ADMC's goal to broaden the company's digital offerings and pursue new digital content delivery platforms in order to satisfy consumer needs and to reach different audiences.

"Delivering premium and relevant content across mobile platforms is a major priority for us as we continue to innovate and find intuitive routes for consumers to access our rich editorial content," explained Ricky Ghai, Executive Director Digital Media, at ADMC. "With such high saturation levels across the region, mobile is gradually becoming the single most relevant platform for providing access to premium news content. Mobile is also a very personal device and it is always on, so it allows readers to customize the content they receive based on their interests and preferences. Our mobile applications for Al Ittihad and The National are the beginning of a slate of applications we are exploring for brands across ADMC."

The mobile editions allow users to access the content of Al Ittihad and The National websites directly on their mobiles. The service is device agnostic. Readers can simply visit www.alittihad.ae and www.thenational.ae from their mobile devices and they will be able to access the mobile versions, without installing any software or additional plug-ins.
Although launched initially on the iPhone, ADMC is looking to make the application soon available on other mobile platforms.

Along with the mobile edition and the Along with the mobile edition and the iPhone application, Al Ittihad is also offering its readers a desk top news ticker - an easy and efficient way to read latest headlines.