Travel Buddy, a travel service provider, is now launching its first mobile Internet service for jetsetters and business travelers via Wapple's Wapple Architect.

Wapple, which optimizes location based mobile services on any type of mobile device, is supporting Travel Buddy's new Mobile Destination Guides that are intended to provide customized location based services for world travelers. Travel Buddy's new mobile Web site services were created with Wapple Architect, which lets applications that specify in things like local weather, travel and information services to all be optimized for mobile phones ranging from first generation handsets to smartphones.

"The travel marketing place is a prime target to monetize existing content via the mass medium of the mobile phone," said Jonathan Viney, Sales Director at Wapple, Bromsgrove, Britain. "While the demand has been there, it is now possible to harness the mobile internet using the Wapple solution."

Travel Buddy claims that the implementation of mobile Internet services will not only provide more feature rich, individual-specific multimedia information, but will provide airlines with a new platform to up-sell services in destinations.

Travel Buddy admits that supporting 50,000 types of devices was a great challenge and that Wapple Architect made it possible to create an application and content that would display correctly on a broad range of mobile devices.

The Wapple Architect works on an XML-based language which allows it to be a platform-independent markup language.

Wapple's application programming language can translate itself into whatever native markup a mobile device requires such as HTML, xHTML, WML or cHTML, all in real time.

"It is important that every customer has a good experience regardless of their phone," Mr. Viney said. "A customer that can not view the information properly will be unhappy.

"We use existing content and convert it to Wapple once and then it is delivered perfectly to every phone," he said. "This means we do not have to change any of our core data or logic for the people to consume the mobile version."

Travel Buddy is targeted towards travel agents, travel management companies, tour operators, airlines and tourist authorities.

The mobile services provided by Travel Buddy provide relevant information and services to the most accessible device around: the mobile phone.

The information delivered ranges from travel plan and itineraries to local information and tips all customized based on interests and requirements specific to the intended destination and date.

"With there being three times as many mobile devices to PCs and people keeping their mobile device with them at all times, even on holiday, Wapple technology will enable greater interaction between travellers and the travel business -- from airlines and tour operators to tourist information providers and local service," Mr. Viney said.

"This will help people manage their travel plans before and during their travels via their mobiles," he said.