Summit publications soon available on cell phones

MANILA, Philippines - Consumers will soon be able to read their favorite magazines FHM, Cosmo, Preview, Yes, and OK published by Gokongwei- owned Summit Media in their mobile phones with the launching of a partnership with mobile-content provider Hand.Interactive Inc. aimed at enriching the reading experience of Filipinos.

Hand.Interactive general manager Harvey Libarnes said readers of various magazines and website published by Summit Media would soon be able to experience related content including extra photos and videos, interviews, contents and interactions with writers and their subjects on their mobile phones.

Libarnes said Hand.Interactive has secured the 2640 access code that is accessible across all telco providers and is investing heavily on its partnership with Summit Media that published 21 magazine titles and 10 websites including FHM, Cosmo, Preview, Yes, OK, K-Zone, Candy, Men’s Health, Women’s Health and Spot.ph.

“The quality of the mobile content - presented at the right time and context -will spell the difference between success and failure. We have to work closely with Summit, in order to make the mobile service seamlessly integrated with that of the magazines and websites and enhance to overall user experience,” he explained.

According to him, Summit Media has an audience base of about seven million and also owns over a hundred billboard sites.

Libarnes, a seasoned telco executive, is optimistic that that the diversity of Summit Media’s assets would help establish Hand.Interactive as a significant player in the industry.

Summit Media owner Lisa Gokongwei-Cheng said the publisher is forging an ambitious plan to integrate a mobile facet into the various assets of the company.

“Going mobile enriches the audience’s experience of Summit Media’s while providing advertisers a more immediate and interactive platform for engagement,” she stressed.

Summit Media is the leading magazine publisher in the Philippines with more than 20 titles under its umbrella.

On the other hand, Hand.Interactive is also eyeing the actual porting of Summit’s content into hand-held formats, such as smartphones and tablets apart from being a content provider. It is also developing a mobile advertising platform.