Genie strikes content deal with AOL

Genie, the mobile internet portal company spun off from BT Cellnet, will feature AOL's mobile services on its internet portal.

Jim Ryan, vice president for the Genie Global Portal, said the AOL service will be appearing on Genie's UK portals "in the next few months". He declined to comment on the financial aspects of the deal. AOL will provide email, news, sport and other content on the Genie site, though a spokesman was not able to confirm whether or how AOL's instant messenger service will appear on the site. Genie will add AOL's mobile services to its UK mobile portal, the default homepage for BT Cellnet WAP phones and Genie's German mobile portal, genie.de. The AOL deal will form an important part of Genie's plans to roll out their service in other European countries and the Asia-Pacific region though the arrangement does not prevent either Genie or AOL from making similar deals with other companies, Ryan said. AOL will also be available on VIAG Interkom's Loop and Genion portals.