Phonecasting.com allies with 4celling.com for mobile commerce

January 10, 2008

Phonecast users can buy products with their mobile phones

Online social network Phonecasting.com is partnering with 4celling.com to create a new platform for shopping via the mobile device.

Consumers who call a Phonecast – a podcast, in other words – will be able to listen to information on the product and, if they like it, press the indicated key and bill the merchandise directly to the mobile phone bill.

“The most immediate beneficiary of this technology will be podcasters, who can now market goods and services through their podcasts, sell memberships to their Web site or monetize pay-per-download episodes,” said Michael Sharp, CEO of Phonecasting, Kingwood, TX, in a statement.

Phonecasting provides vendors with tools to add a store to their Phonecast, which can be a podcast, product description or any other audio message.

Potential customers can then call in for the Phonecast and be informed of a retailer’s product offerings. If customers want to buy the product, they press a specified key and the item is billed directly to their mobile phone bill.

Which leads to the question – at some point will mobile phone bills contain everything that consumers buy?

4celling.com handles the billing details for Phonecasting.com.

“We now have all the tools necessary that will allow user-generated content producers to market goods and services to customers whether they are walking home from school, stuck in traffic, at a social function or at a sporting event,” Mr. Sharp said.