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Hindustan Times launches iPhone application

HT Media claims that it is the first news media organisation from India to launch an iPhone application

Hindustan Times has extended its mobile phone presence beyond its mobile website, available at Hindustantimes.com. The English print daily has developed a dedicated mobile application for Apple iPhone, through which it will offer news content to iPhone users.

Hindustan Times launches iPhone application
The application was ready in April but the media company has formally launched it now. HT Media claims that it is the first news media organisation from India to launch an iPhone application. Some prominent international newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and Financial Times already have their iPhone applications.

Speaking to afaqs!, a spokesperson from HT Media says, "The application will primarily target iPhone users or non-resident Indians (NRIs) in the West." The number of iPhone users is relatively low in India.

In the first phase, Hindustan Times will serve content from five verticals - national, world, business, Bollywood and cricket - and photos from Hindustan Times - on the application daily. Later, news from various other sections will also be made available.

There are plans to serve non-news content as well in the future, the spokesperson indicates. He adds, "In the next phase, the application will be customised according to the requirements of local markets."

The application will be offered for free and users will be allowed to download it from the iPhone online store, called iTunes. "Though there are no advertisements embedded inside the application as of now, the company plans to monetise the application by serving advertisements in future," indicates the spokesperson.

He also reveals that HT Media is planning to revamp its existing mobile site and will develop mobile applications for Nokia phones as well.

Incidentally, Hindustan Times launched its Kindle edition in December 2009 in order to tap the traffic from Western markets.

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