MySpace has launched a free ad funded mobile version of itself.
MySpace Mobile had primarily been a service based on subscriptions available to Helio and AT&T subscribers until now. However, the new version will work on all the networks in US. MySpace users will be able to carry out the normal functions such as sending and receiving messages and friend requests, searching for friends, updating blogs, posting bulletins and commenting on pictures.
In the initial stages, banners and sponsorships will form the base of the ads. In due course, there will be more focus on targeted advertising and location based ads.
The launch can be seen as an initiative by Fox Interactive to expand the reach of MySpace. Social networking sites are increasingly being banned in educational institutes and work places, and this has prompted users to turn to their mobiles for accessing these sites. In addition, the number of users turning to their mobiles for web access and social network users on the move has increased significantly. MySpace too wants to tap in these users with its free ad funded mobile version. This might not have been possible if the services would have been confined to only Helio and AT&T subscribers.